WILD  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 


WILD    FLOWERS 


OF 


THE  PACIFIC  COAST 


FROM   ORIGINAL   WATER   COLOR    SKETCHES   DRAWN 

FROM    NATURE 


BY 

EMMA  ROMAN  THAYER 

AUTHOR   OF    "  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   THE   ROCKY    MOUNTAINS,"    ETC. 


CASSELL  &  COMPANY,  LIMITED, 

739  &  741   BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


BIOLOGY  LIBRARY 

( f> «_  •  *»  o 

COPYRIGHT, 

'',/  ''  ',,'',  \   5887, 
,,Sx  O.  M.'E.UNHAM. 


ALL    RIGHTS   KESERVED. 


CHKOMO-LITHOGRAPHKD  BY  DONALDSON  BROTHERS,  NEW  YORK. 
PRESS  W.  L.  MERSHON  &  Co.,  RAHWAY,  N.  J. 


I    DEDICATE    THIS   BOOK    TO    THE   MEMORY   OF 
MY  FATHER 

GEORGE   W.  HOMAN. 


M40874 


INTRODUCTION. 

In  presenting  this  collection  of  Wild  Flowers,  I  have  selected  those  from  my  sketches 
that  are  most  beloved  by  the  people  of  the  coast,  and  are  new  and  of  interest  to  lovers  of 
wild  flowers  in  the  East. 

I  have  given  them  to  you  as  I  found  them  growing  in  their  natural  simplicity  along 
the  trails  of  the  mountains,  and  by  the  streams  in  the  valleys. 

They  are  but  a  handful  compared  to  the  multitude  we  find  all  along  the  coast.  All 
the  varieties  of  the  East  are  found  here.  There  is  no  peak  so -high,  or  valley  so  deep, 
but  you  see  their  lovely  faces  waiting  to  welcome  you.  They  smile  and  nod  as  if  inviting 
you  to  catch  them.  You  reach  up  to  pluck  one,  and  you  discover  a  bright-colored  neigh- 
bor beckoning  you  higher,  and  so  you  climb  to  the  very  top,  all  unconscious  of  the  dizzy 
height,  lured  on  by  these  bright-arrayed  children  of  the  mountains. 

In  the  places  most  difficult  of  access  I  found  the  most  beautiful  flowers.  It  would 
seem  as  if  they  wished  to  hide  the  delicate  members  of  their  family  from  the  rude  gaze  of 
the  world,  sheltered  in  some  nook  of  the  rocks,  like  a  miniature  conservatory  tenderly 
cared  for  by  the  fairies  of  the  mountains. 

Often  you  will  see  a  most  beautiful  specimen  growing  just  beyond  your  reach  on 
some  rugged  point.  The  desire  to  possess  it  is  so  great  you  can  hardly  resist  the  danger- 
ous reach.  I  once  saw  a  whole  bed  of  fine  bell-shape  flowers  on  a  point  above  me,  im- 
possible to  climb.  I  had  spent  days  in  trying  to  find  this  variety,  and  here  they  were  a 
few  feet  above  my  head,  but  no  human  hand  could  touch  them.  They  grew  wondrously 
beautiful  while  I  gazed,  and  I  imagined  they  grew  larger  and  larger  until  they  looked 
like  a  whole  chime  of  bells  ringing  out  a  dirge  to  my  disappointed  ambitions. 

In  Southern  California  you  can  pick  wild  flowers  every  month  in  the  year,  and  in 
February  they  make  their  appearance  all  over  the  state,  and  continue  their  line  of  march 
up  the  coast,  and  by  April  you  find  them  in  the  fields  and  woods  of  Oregon. 

To  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  flowers  of  California,  may  they  welcome  these  in 
my  collection  as  old  friends,  and  to  those  who  are  strangers,  may  they  prove  an  introduc- 
tion to  the  home  of  the  beautiful  wild  flowers  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

E.  H.  T. 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


BUTTERCUPS. 

EVENING   PRIMROSE. 

BURR-CLOVER. 

BABY   BLUE   EYES. 

YELLOW   POPPY. 

LARKSPUR. 

WILD   THRIFT. 

CLUSTER   LILY.   . 

VIOLET. 

WILD  VERBENA. 

BLUE  BELLS. 

SNAP-DRAGON. 

SHOOTING  STAR. 

WILD   PEONY. 

CHINESE   CIGARETTE   BLOSSOM. 

WILD    HELIOTROPE. 

«  TIDY-TIPS." 

SNOW   PLANT. 

FORGET-ME-NOT. 

WOOD   LILY,   i 

AZALEA. 

SPOTTED   LILY.  I 

SALMON  BLOSSOMS  AND  PINK  GRASS. 

MARIPOSA   LILY.  . 


Wild  Flowers  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 


BUTTERCUPS.  CAL!!"0! 

As  our  train  nears  San  Francisco  we  run  on  the  long 
pier  far  out  in  the  bay,  and  as  we  board  one  of  the  fine  ferry- 
boats, a  friend  directs  us  to  the  front  and  says: 

"  You  get  a  finer  view  here."  We  have  an  indistinct 
remembrance  of  his  continuing  to  talk,  but  in  our  surprise  and 
delight  at  the  view  we  do  not  hear  him.  The  magnificent  bay 
is  before  us.  In  the  distance  we  see  the  city  of  San  Francisco, 
with  its  hundred  of  spires  tipped  with  brasses  shining  out  in  the 
sun.  The  bay  is  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  stately  ocean  ships  and 
"  men-of-war"  are  coming  in  or  going  out!"  The  ferry-boats,  so 
large  and  fine,  they  remind  us  of  the  Boston  steamboats  in  size 
and  grandeur.  Yachts  and  fishing  smacks  lie  side  by  side,  and 
the  saucy  little  tug  goes  flying  in  and  out,  peeping  here  and 
there  in  her  inquisitive  way,  as  if  wishing  to  know  her  neigh- 
bors' business. 

Flags  are  flying,  and  every  nation  is  represented,  but  with 
their  colors  we  see  a  flag  that  seems  to  act  as  host  and  guardian, 
and  we  recognize  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

White-winged  birds  fly  abreast  our  boat  and  lead  the  way, 
as  if  bidding  us  a  welcome.  Flow  beautiful  it  is,  and  we  seat 


IO  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

ourselves  comfortably  to  enjoy  it  all,  when  we  are  gently  touched 
upon  the  arm,  and  a  voice  low  but  distinct  asks  : 

"  Grand  Hotel  ?"  and  the  notes  echo  from  every  side,  the 
first  word  changed,  but  the  last  ever  the  same — "  Palace  Hotel?" 
"  Occidental  Hotel  ? '  We  stop  the  echo  by  saying,  "  Occidental 
Hdfcol,!  please."  Our  hand-bag  and  bundles  disappear,  and  when 
\>?ei  jlatn'd  ,!the  same  quiet  voice  directs  us  to  the  coach,  and  we 
are  wheeled  away  through  the  business  portion  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  landed  in  the  reception-room  of  the  Occidental. 

Not  a  moment  is  lost,  you  are  shown  a  room  and  there  you 
find  your  bags  and  bundles,  which  give  it  a  home  look,  and  you 
are  left  with  a  "  Hope  you'll  find  every  thing  comfortable,  ma'm," 
which  makes. you  feel  the  boy's  your  friend. 

I  prepare  for  lunch,  and  the  lonely  feeling  is  just  beginning 
to  creep  stealthily  in  when  a  rap  is  heard,  which  startles  it.  The 
door  is  opened,  and  a  kind  voice  says,  "Wid  de  compliments  of 
Maj.  Hooper,  de  proprietor  of  dis  hotel,"  and  a  basket  is  placed 
upon  my  table  filled  with  buttercups  fresh  cut,  with  odors  of 
new  mown  hay  and  suggestions  of  country  fields  and  bright- 
eyed  daisies  about  them. 

The  lonely  feeling  disappears.  I  select  a  bunch  from  the 
basket  and  arrange  them  for  my  belt,  and  am  about  to  stab 
them  with  the  long  pin,  when  I  change  my  mind.  No !  I 
will  paint  them  instead,  they  shall  be  my  first  sketch,  and  so 
my  first  day  spent  in  San  Francisco  was  devoted  to  this 
little  bunch  of  buttercups  that  came  from  the  fields  back  of 
Oakland. 


EVENING  PRIMROSE. 

The  second  day  after  my  arrival  in  Sacramento,  I  was  told 
of  a  little  Scotch  girl  who  knew  every  wild  flower  for  miles 
around,  and  at  one  of  the  flower  festivals  she  had  sent  a  great 
variety  of  them  beautifully  arranged,  and  they  were  so  much 
admired  her  name  had  been  mentioned  in  a  complimentary 
manner  in  the  city  papers. 

Through  a  mutual  friend  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
little  girl- -Jennie  McClure.  A  call  upon  her,  and  we  became 
friends  at  once.  We  made  an  engagement  to  go  the  next  day 
in  search  of  primroses.  "Yes,  she  knew  just  where  they  grew, 
lovely  white  ones.  We  would  have  to  walk  quite  a  bit  if  I  did 
not  mind." 

I  did  "  not  mind."  I  was  to  call  for  Jennie  at  ten  the  next 
morning,  but  long  before  that  hour  she  came  for  me. 

'  I  thought  you  had  forgot  the  time,  and  I'd  come  on  a  bit 
and  meet  you  ! " 

"  No,  Jennie,  I  did  not  forget  the  hour.  I  was  just  starting 
when  I  saw  you  coming,  but  I  am  glad  you  came.  I  shall  have 
your  company  so  much  the  longer." 

"  Do  you  mind  if  I  take  Tom  with  us  ?  He  is  my  brother, 
and  always  goes  with  me  when  I  go  for  flowers,"  and  the  sweet 
face  brightened  while  she  waited  for  my  answer. 

"  Have  him  come  with  us  by  all  means.     Where  is  he  ?" 

"  I  felt  most  sure  you'd  like  him  to  go,  and  I   told  him  to 


12  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST; 

pick  a  basket  of  oranges.  We'll  get  so  dry,  walking  in  the  sun, 
and  after  we  eat  the  oranges  we  can  put  the  flowers  in  the  basket. 
Oh,  here  he  comes !  Tom,  this  is  the  lady,  and  she  likes  you 
to  go,"  and  Jennie  brought  him  forward  in  the  most  motherly 
manner  for  his  introduction. 

We  took  the  street  cars  out  to  the  edge  of  the  town,  and 
then  Tom  led  the  way,  while  Jennie  talked  constantly,  telling 
me  of  their  many  trips  after  flowers ;  and  she  knew  the  exact 
place  to  find  the  primroses,  she  had  seen  them  "  hundreds  of 
times."  "  You  know,  Tom,  it  is  just  the  other  side  of  the  big  flow." 

"  Yes,  Jennie,  I  know  presaxley.  Is  the  lady  afraid  of 
snakes  ?" 

"Yes,  Tom,  I  am.     Why?"   I  asked  in  alarm. 

"  'Cause  a  bit  to  the  left  is  a  nest  of  'um.  I  killed  one  on 
our  last  trip.  Do  you  mind,  Jennie?" 

"  Yes,  I  do,  Tom.  But  Papa  said  if  we  ran  crooked,  like 
this,  they  would  not  come  out,"  and  Jennie  gathered  up  her 
short  skirts  and  started.  I  followed,  but  Tom  walked  straight 
in  the  middle  of  the  road  in  a  most  dignified  manner.  He 
carried  a  stick  in  his  hand  almost  as  large  as  himself,  ready  to 
defend  us,  did  the  snake  make  his  appearance.  But  none  came 
out,  and  we  walked  on  again  in  safety,  I  to  listen  to  wonderful 
snake  stories  from  Tom,  who,  being  only  "ten,  but  going  on 
eleven,"  had  had  wonderful  experiences  for  one  of  his  years. 

The  'big  flow"  was  reached;  Tom  helped  me  over  the 
stepping-stones  safely,  and  the  dainty  "  beauties  "  were  soon  dug 
up  and  nestling  lovingly  in  my  basket. 


BURR    CLOVER. 

Is   there   any  thing  more  lovely  than  youth? — a  young  girl 

just  coming  into  womanhood  ?     It  is  in  California  you  find  the 

.loveliest  girls  in  the  world,  large  in  stature  and  graceful  in  form. 

I    have  watched   them   by  the   hour,   laughing  and  chatting,  all 

unconscious  of  the  great  charm  of  their  beauty — health. 

There  is  something  about  the  air  of  California  that  is  exhil- 
arating. It  gives  a  kind  of  champagne  pop  to  every  thing.  Men 
and  women  walk  faster,  ricle  faster,  and  live  faster  than  in  the 
East.  Girls  marry  younger,  and  boys  become  men  while  yet  in 
their  teens.  It  is  the  climate. 

Two  young  girls  at  my  hotel  interested  me;  they  were 
great  friends,  and  I  found  them  well-informed  and  ever  ready 
to  give  me  information  about  their  State,  with  a  pride  all  possess 
who  live  in  it. 

I  met  them  one  clay,  their  faces  flushed  and  their  hands 
full  of  great  bunches  of  burr  clover.  "  Where  did  you  get 
them?"  I  asked.  "They  are  beautiful."  The  flower  was  new  to 
me,  and  consequently  of  great  value.  "At  the  mission  'Dolo- 
res.' You  can  get  just  lovely  ones  there,"  they  answered. 

The  next  day  found  me  at  this  wonderful  mission,  founded 
by  the  Spanish  Friars  in  the  year  1776.  The  sexton  points  out 
the  three  little  bells  in  the  three  square  openings,  and  assures 
you  they  were  brought  from  the  Castle  many  years  ago.  The 
long  narrow  aisles  lead  you  to  the  altar,  and  here  we  see  what  the 


j^  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST. 

sexton  tells  us  is  a  painting  of  the  Last  Supper,  the  Madonna 
and  the  Christ,  Saint  Frances  and  Saint  James.  The  walls,  he 
tells  us,  are  four  feet  thick,  and  they  look  fifty.  A  weak,  closed- 
in  feeling  comes  over  you,  and  you  think  of  the  lovely  fresh  air 
outside,  and  when  you  reach  it,  give  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving 
that  you  are  allowed  to  breathe  it  again. 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  the  graveyard,  miss  ?" 

"  Yes,  if  it  is  not  under  cover  and  the  sunshine  is  allowed 
to  come  in,"  I  answered. 

"  Plenty  of  sunshine  there,"  and  he  leads  the  way. 

As  we  pass  through  the  gate  the  old  man  bows  his  head- 
so  do  I.  We  are  in  the  presence  of  the  dust  of  those  that  have 
slept  here  over  a  hundred  years.  We  read  the  inscriptions  and 
find  them  in  six  different  languages — I  should  say  see  them  in 
six — the  hieroglyphics  on  the  Indian  headstones  we  could  not 
decipher,  but  are  assured  they  are  the  names  of  great  chieftains. 

On  a  board  headstone,  the  lettering  nearly  washed  out  by 
the  years  of  rain  upon  it,  we  see  under  the  name  the  letters  "V. 
C.,"  and  ask  what  it  means. 

"Oh,  that  stands  for  Vigilance  Committee;  you  will  see  that 
on  some  of  the  marble  stones.  Would  I  go  further?" 

'  No,   I   had   seen   enough,  if  he   would   allow   me   to  pick 
some  of  the  burr  clover  growing  near." 

Why,  yes;  take  these  growing  near  the  slab  of  James  Sul- 
livan, the  world-renowned  'Yankee  Sullivan.'  You  see  there  is 
a'V.  C.'  on  it." 

I  took  them,  and   so  you   see  them   in   my  sketch. 


~,  0   , 


BABY    BLUE    EYES. 

The  name  of  "  Monterey"  has  a  charm  for  thousands  of 
tourists  who  have  visited  that  beautiful  place,  in  the  last  three 
years.  Indeed  the  interest  in  this  place  dates  back  to  1842, 
when  the  United  States  seized  the  territory  of  California,  but 
relinquished,  it  the  next  day.  Commodore  Jones,  of  the  Amer- 
ican navy,  captured  the  fort  of  Monterey,  and  hoisted  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  but  the  next  morning  he  hauled  down  his  flag,  and- 
apologized  for  his  mistake.  They  were  not  hoisted  again  until 
July  yth,  1846,  and  then  by  Commodore  Sloat  with  no  intention 
of  imitating  his  predecessor's  example  by  pulling  them  down. 

"  There  is  probably  no  place  upon  the  coast  so  replete  with 
natural  charms  as  Monterey.  Its  exquisite  beauty  and  variety 
of  scenery  is  diversified  with  ocean,  bay,  lake  and  streamlet  ; 
mountain,  hill  and  valley,  and  groves  of  oak,  cypress,  spruce, 
pine  and  other  trees.  The  mountain  views  are  very  beautiful, 
particularly  the  Gabilan  and  Santa  Cruz  spurs." 

In  a  beautiful  park  not  far  from  the  town  of  Monterey 
stands  the  magnificent  hotel  called  "  The  Del  Monte."  "  This 
is  perfection,  a-dream,"  said  an  enthusiastic  girl  standing  near 
me,  the  morning  after  my  arrival,  and  I  could  but  echo  her 
words.  It  was  early,  but  the  sun  was  far  up,  and  its  rays  upon 
the  freshly-watered  grass  threw  countless  diamonds  on  every 
blade. 

The  cultivated  flowers  were  everywhere — in  artistic  clusters, 


1 6  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

the  hand  of  an  artist  had  arranged  their  start  in  life,  and  they 
had  fully  repaid  him  by  arraying-  themselves  in  colors  that  per- 
fectly blended  with  their  neighbors. 

The  temptation  to  walk  could  not  be  resisted.  As  we  turned 
the  corner  of  the  house,  the  odor  of  heliotrope  was  so  strong 
it  made  us  wonder  if  the  gardener  was  using  the  perfume  in  his 
watering-pot.  But  we  soon  discovered  from  whence  came  the 
delicious  odor.  A  vine  completely  covered  the  end  of  the  hotel  ; 
it  was  up  far  above  the  second-story  windows  and  thousands  of 
blossoms  were  gracefully  hanging  from  its  branches. 

As  we  continued  our  walk  by  the  fountains  and  lakes  we 
soon  came  to  a  grove  of  trees  that  had  been  left  in  their  natural 
beauty.  The  grass  was  wild  but  smooth  as  velvet.  On  a  little 
mound  under  a  young  bushy  tree  I  saw  what  looked  like  a  light- 
blue  covering,  and  found  peeping  through  the  grass  these  pretty 

• 

"blue  babies'-eyes."  They  were  so  sweet,  nestled  away  under  this 
bush,  too  delicate  and  slender  to  bear  the  full  rays  of  the  sun,  I 
could  not  pick  them,  but  promised  to  spend  the  morning  with 
them.  Returning  to  the  hotel  for  my  colors,  I  took  a  hasty 
breakfast,  and  the  rest  of  the  morning  found  me  seated  by  the 
side  of  these  flowers  so  prettily  named. 

They  are  one  of  the  favorites  of  the  flora  on  the  coast. 
All  seem  to  love  them.  The  prettiest  decorations  for  a  table  I 
ever  saw  were  sea-shells  filled  with  these  beautiful  flowers. 

A  great  variety  of  flowers  grow  around  Monterey.  The 
ladies  bring  in  great  bunches,  making  the  "Del  Monte'  look 
like  a  conservatory  of  wild  flowers. 


YELLOW    POPPY. 

On  one  of  my  trips  over  the  Northern  Pacific  road,  at  a 
little  station  called  "  Santa  Rosa,"  a  man  hurriedly  entered  the 
car,  followed  closely  by  his  wife  and  little  girl.  Depositing  the 
many  bundles  on  the  seat,  he  kissed  them  both  and  said,  "There! 
Good-by  !  Take  good  care  of  yourselves  and  enjoy  your  trip." 
To  the  little  girl  he  said,  "Don't  call  me  back  or  watch  me  out 
of  sight,  it's  bad  luck." 

So  simple  and  honest  was  this  warning,  I  became  interested 
in  the  man  and  watched  him  from  the  car  window.  Oh  !  no 
wonder  he  did  not  want  them  to  watch  him  out  of  sight.  The 
tears  were  falling  fast  as  he  unhitched  his  horses  and  jumped  in 
the  wagon  and  drove  away,  not  once  looking  toward  the  car  that 
held  those  most  dear  to  him.  What  a  sacrifice  of  feelings  was 
this  man  making,  and  perhaps  of  his  means  also. 

At  this  moment  the  train  started.  I  felt  so  interested  in 
this  little  family  I  offered  some  courtesy  to  the  child,  and  soon 
had  the  mother  in  conversation.  She  had  come  to  California 
when  a  young  girl,  with  her  father.  Had  married  and  settled 
on  a  ranch  near  Santa  Rosa.  Her  husband,  she  said,  had  lived 
in  the  state  nine  years,  and  during  that  time  they  had  married 
and  had  this  one  little  girl.  "He  ain't  been  back  once,"  she 
said,  "although  his  mother  writes  constantly  for  him  to  come, 
and  now  since  the  tickets  are  so  cheap,  he  insists  on  my  going 
and  taking  daughter." 

O  <j 


1 8  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST. 

"Too  bad  he  could  not  go,"  I  said. 

"Yes,  I  just  begged  him  to  go,  but  'twas  no  use.  'Mother 
has  never  seen  you  or  Annie,'  he  said,  'and  you  can  tell  her  all 
about  how  I  look,  and  I  can't  leave  the  ranche  ;  you  must  go.' 
I  wonder  if  he's  left  the  station  ? ' 

"Yes,  I   saw  him  get  in   his  wagon  and  drive  away." 

"Oh!  did  you?  How  did  he  look?  Poor  Papa,"  and 
the  child's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

I  called  her  attention  to  some  flowers  along  the  road.  She 
brightened  up  at  once,  and  suddenly  turning  to  me,  asked,  "  Do 
you  like  wild  flowers  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  do  ;  do  you  ? " 

"  I  just  love  them.  Mamma,  where  is  my  basket  ?  Oh, 
here  it  is,"  and  removing  the  paper  she  showed  me  some  beau- 
tiful wild  poppies.  She  had  taken  them  with  the  earth  about 
them  so  carefully,  they  looked  as  if  they  had  not  been  disturbed. 

'  I  am  taking  them  to  grandmother.  Father  said  she  was 
sure  to  like  them." 

"  I  know  she  will.  Do  you  stop  in  San  Francisco  ? '  I 
inquired. 

Yes,  one  day,  with  a  cousin,"  she  answered. 

I  asked  the  privilege  of  keeping  the  flowers  for  the  day. 
I  wanted  to  paint  them,  because  they  were  the  finest  I  had  ever 
seen,  and  as  a  remembrance  of  the  little  party  I  had  met.  As 
you  look  at  them,  you  can  think  of  the  trip  they  took,  and  we 
may  hope  some  of  their  descendants  are  now  growing  in  the 
grandmother's  garden. 


LARKSPUR. 

I  think  one  of  the  pleasantest  short  trips  from  San  Fran- 
cisco is  the  one  to  the  Geysers.  It  was  my  pleasure  to  go  on  the 
beautiful  narrow-gauge  railroad  as  far  as  Clovedale.  The  rest 
of  the  trip  was  made  by  stages. 

While  waiting  for  the  second  coach  I  looked  at  the  little 
town  and  thought  its  situation  very  beautiful.  So  pleased  was 
I  with  it  I  forgot  to  demand,  as  my  companions  had  done,  the 
"best  seat." 

"Well,  ma'am,  will  you  take  this  seat?  It  ain't  noways 
pleasant,  but  as  you  ain't  said  nothing  about  no  seat,  maybe  you're 
not  particular." 

I  looked  up  and  saw  a  small  space  left  between  two  women 
whose  weight  had  already  tested  the  springs,  and  being  neither 
thin  nor  delicate  myself,  I  hesitated. 

"  It'll  be  awful  hot,"  said  one  of  the  women. 

"  And  dusty,"  said  the  second. 

"  Yes,  and  crowded,"  said  I. 

"  If  you  ain't  pressed  for  time  I'd  wait  and  engage  the  front 
seat  on  to-morrow's  coach,"  said  the  polite  agent  standing  near  me. 

"  I  will  be  glad  to  do  so,"  I  said,  much  relieved,  for  the 
very  thought  of  crowding  in  a  seat  between  two  women  had 
made  me  feel  warm  and  fatigued. 

We  reached  Clovedale  (which  is  so  prettily  and  appro- 
priately named)  about  noon.  After  a  good  luncheon,  I  walked 


2O  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

out  to  the  suburbs  of  the  town  and  followed  a  path  which  led  me 
to  the  top  of  a  hill.  As  I  walked,  the  pink  clover  in  full  bloom 
sent  forth  a  lovely  odor. 

On  this  hill,  and  on  this  quiet  afternoon,  I  found  the  lark- 
spur growing.  Its  colors  looked  richer  against  the  background 
of  clear  blue  sky,  and  I  thought  it  worthy  of  being  sketched. 

I  could  imagine  Clovedale  a  New  England  town  from  the 
flora  I  found  there.  The  columbine,  small,  red  and  growing  on 
slender  stems,  grows  here  as  it  does  in  our  eastern  woods.  The 
flag  lily,  purple,  lavender  and  white,  I  found  in  abundance. 
Even  the  clover  had  an  eastern  look,  and  it  would  seem  as  if 
the  flowers  had  formed  a  colony,  and  chosen  this  beautiful  spot 
as  their  future  home. 

The  next  day,  found  me  in  the  "front  seat,"  by  the 
side  of  the  driver.  It  was  mine  by  right  of  engagement,  much 
to  the  annoyance  of  the  six  fellow-passengers,  all  of  whom,  with 
pockets  well  stocked  with  cigars,  to  bribe  the  driver,  expected  to 
take  it. 

"  I  think  you  will  find  this  seat  much  pleasanter,  and  I 
hope  you  are  not  sorry  you  staid  over,  miss,"  said  the  kind- 
hearted  agent. 

'Sorry?  Oh  no,  I  am  glad  that  circumstances  detained  me 
here.  I  shall  always  associate  it  with  clover-blossoms,  no  matter 
when  or  where  I  see  them  growing." 

Crack !  went  the  whip,  the  "  leaders "  gave  a  spring,  and 
Clovedale,  with  its  quiet  homes,  its  honey-laden  bees,  and 
flowers,  left  behind  us. 


WILD   THRIFT. 

Will  you  go  to  the  shore  and  take  a  bath  ?  is  almost  the  first 
question  asked  you  after  reaching  Santa  Cruz.  It  was  a  pleas- 
ing question  to  me  and  I  quickly  answered,  "  Yes,  as  soon  as  I 
have  had  luncheon." 

"  Cars  run  right  by  the  door,  miss,  every  fifteen  minutes, 
take  you  plumb  up  to  the  door  of  the  baths,  and  you  can  stay 
as  long  as  you  like  for  the  same  price." 

The  day,  being  the  latter  part  of  March',  was  a  little  cool, 
but  the  salt  water  in  my  bath  was  warm  and  delicious;  yes,  deli- 
cious. I  know  no  other  word  that  so  well  expresses  a  warm  salt 
water  bath  after  days  of  hot  dusty  travel. 

As  I  walked  along  on  the  warm  sand,  thoroughly  refreshed 
by  my  bath,  with  no  particular  aim  in  view,  I  came  suddenly 
upon  some  writing  with  a  ring  drawn  around  it. 

I  looked  closely  and  read,  "  Go  straight  ahead  fifty-seven 
steps,  then  turn  to  the  right  thirty-three  steps,  and  you  will  see 
a  mighty  pretty  flower."  I  read  it  the  second  time.  Surely  it 
had  not  been  long  written  ;  it  looked  as  if  freshly  done  in  the 
yet  damp  sand.  I  had  seen  no  one  on  the  beach,  and  looked 
around  to  find  the  writer.  In  looking  back  I  saw  I  had  uncon- 
sciously turned  a  point  on  the  beach,  and  the  writer,  whoever  it 
had  been,  was  out  of  sight.  I  read  again,  and  then  saw  for  the 
first  time  foot-prints,  so  small  they  must  be  of  a  child,  and  the 
toes  pointed  toward  the  cliff.  I  followed  the  foot-prints  and 


22  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST. 

came  to  an  old  deserted  boat  that  was  lying  close  up  under  the 
bank,  and  behind  it  and  just  above  the  top,  I  saw  a  pair  of  dark- 
brown  eyes. 

"Did  you  write  that  for  me?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  mum,"  and  the  bright  eyes  twinkled. 

"  How  did  you  know  I  was  looking  for  flowers  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  heard  you  ask  at  the  hotel  if  there  were  any  wild 
flowers  growing  on  the  beach,  and  I  just  knew  there  was,  and  I 
rim  ahead  to  let  you  know." 

"  You  are  very  good,"  I  said.  "  Come  out  and  let  me  see 
you,  and  if  you  will  go  with  me  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  the 
flowers."  She  stood  up  and  I  found  her  to  be  a  young  girl 
about  eleven  years  old,  and  the  daughter  of  a  fisherman  living 
near  the  beach.  She  was  a  bright  interesting  little  thing,  and 
loved  flowers.  She  gave  me  much  information  as  we  walked 
along,  and  when  we  reached  this  patch  of  wild  thrift,  I  was 
informed  that  it  was  "  the  only  lot  that  had  blossomed  this  spring." 

As  I  made  my  sketch  she  chatted,  and  often  the  little  face 
with  the  pretty  brown  eyes  would  get  between  my  brush  and 
the  blossoms  I  was  sketching. 

"  I  would  just  like  some  paints  like  yours.  I'd  paint  every 
flower  as  fast  as  they  came  out,  if  I  had  the  paints." 

"  You  shall  have  a  box  for  your  kindness,"  I  said,  "  and  a 
lesson  also,  if  you  will  come  to  the  hotel  with  me."  She  was 
the  happiest  child  that  night  in  Santa  Cruz.  I  believe  she  will, 
some  day,  be  a  fine  artist,  as  she  showed  wonderful  talent  in 
one  so  young. 


CLUSTER    LILY. 

These  lilies  I  think  much  handsomer  growing  than  in  the 
sketch.  As  we  find  them  standing  erect  on  their  delicate  stems, 
each  lily  so  perfect  in  the  cluster,  we  are  ready  to  say  no  brush 
can  do  them  justice. 

Like  the  poppy,  they  grow  in  patches,  and  instead  of  the 
yellow  carpet,  we  find  the  purple,  lavender  and  delicate  blue, 
but  rarely  the  pink. 

I  found  these  little  flowers  a  great  favorite  with  the  young 
ladies.  They  can  choose  from  the  color  most  becoming,  and  wear 
them  for  a  whole  evening  without  losing  their  freshness. 

I  found  the  most  perfect  of  these  lilies  in  the  Napa  Valley. 
This  lovely  valley  seems  to  be  the  home  of  the  wild  flowers  : 
every  variety  found  in  the  state  grows  here,  and  the  growth  is 
rich  in  size  and  color. 

Napa  Valley  is  better  known  to  eastern  people  than  any 
other  in  the  state.  It  has  gained  a  reputation  for  richness  of 
soil  and  beautiful  vineyards  that  make  all  tourists  wish  to  visit  it. 

I  found  all  of  the  valleys  equally  inviting.  No  matter  in 
which  direction  you  may  go,  on  any  of  the  railroads,  you  are 
sure  to  find  yourself  in  one  of  these  lovely  valleys,  with  ranches 
here  and  there,  and  every  few  miles  a  pretty  village  with  its 
church  steeples  rising  high  in  the  air,  surmounted  with  little 
brass  crosses  and  weather-cocks,  that  send  the  sun's  rays  far 
down  the  valley,  as  if  to  guide  the  weary  traveler  home. 


24  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

It  was  in  the  San  Joaquin  and  Sacramento  Valleys  I  found 
the  greatest  variety  of  birds.  I  saw  here  a  fine  species  of  the 
road-runner,  which  is  much  like  the  cuckoo  ;  but  in  habits  more 
like  the  pheasant  in  running,  and  its  inability  to  fly. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  all  birds  is  the  California 
wood-pecker  (Melanerpes  fonmcivorus),  which  has  the  curious 
habit  of  boring  holes  in  the  bark  of  trees  and  filling  them  \vith 
acorns,  which  fit  most  accurately  and  closely  in  the  cavities 
thus  made.  The  object  of  this  arrangement  appears  to  be  to 
allow  the  grubs  to  fatten  inside  the  acorns,  which  thus  in  time 
are  found  to  contain  a  nice  meal  for  the  provident  bird. 

The  quail  of  California  are  very  handsome.  There  are  two 
species,  and  both  have  elegant  crests  of  long  narrow  feathers. 
In  one  species  they  turn  backward,  in  the  other  forward.  They 
are  taller  and  more  slender  than  the  quail  of  the  Eastern  States. 

I  am  not  a  sportswoman,  but  I  have  killed  my  quail.  Once 
when  a  child,  with  a  horse-hair  noose  set  as  a  trap,  many  of 
them  on  a  string  stretched  tight  and  fastened  to  little  sticks, 
underneath  which  grains  of  wheat  were  scattered  to  entice 
the  innocent  bird  to  hang  himself.  And  again  while  in  Sacra- 
mento Valley  with  a  party  of  friends,  one  of  whom  handed  me  a 
little  shot-gun  and  said,  "  Point  the  sight  at  that  bush  ;  now,  fire." 
I  did  so,  and  a  family  of  quail  scattered,  leaving  behind  them  a 
son.  His  crest  turned  backward,  and  he  now  stands  on  a  mini- 
ature stump  which  adorns  the  most  attractive  corner  of  my 
cabinet. 


VIOLET (Wiuot 


VIOLET. 

Have  you  ever  visited  San  Jose  ?  If  you  have  you  know 
much  better  than  I  can  tell  you  of  its  beauties.  No  description 
of  a  place  can  equal  a  visit.  We  may  read  of  cities  and  beautiful 
countries,  and  get  some  idea  of  them,  but  a  visit  is  never  forgot- 
ten ;  if  pleasant,  the  memory  remains  through  life. 

San  Jose  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  lovely  valley  of  Santa- 
Clara.  On  the  east  are  the  Coast  Range  of  mountains,  and  on  the 
west  the  Santa-Clara  range.  This  charming  place  is  called  the 
Garden  City  of  California,  and  the  New  Haven  of  the  Pacific. 

Its  wealth  of  trees,  flowers  and  shrubbery,  and  the  multifari- 
ous adornments  of  nature  and  art,  make  it  one  of  the  popular 
cities  of  the  Coast. 

Almond  Rock  is  one  of  the  points  of  interest,  and  the  drive 
there  the  finest  in  the  place.  It  was  on  this  drive  I  first  saw  the 
violet,  so  called  by  the  people  of  California,  but  so  much  resem- 
bling the  pansy  of  the  east,  it  was  difficult  for  me  not  to  call  it 
by  that  pretty  name  given  to  its  sister. 

These  in  my  sketch  were  growing  in  a  pasture  in  which  cows 
were  feeding.  With  their  bright-colored  faces  turned  to  the  sun 
they  covered  nearly  half  an  acre  of  ground.  I  selected  this 
bunch,  carefully  removing  the  earth  with  them,  much  to  the  con- 
sternation of  the  cows,  who  drew  near  with  curiosity,  wondering, 
no  doubt,  why  I  was  disturbing  their  pretty  garden. 

It  was  in  San  Jose  I  saw  such  beautifully  cultivated  gardens. 


26  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

Blossoms  of  all  kinds  grow  to  an  immense  size.  The  roses  were 
here  in  abundance,  and  so  large  and  fine  I  begged  some  to  send 
to  an  Eastern  friend,  who  thought  her  roses  the  finest  in  the 
country.  She  wrote  me  "  You  intended  this  box  of  lovely 
roses  as  a  pleasure  to  me  I  am  quite  sure,  but  they  have  brought 
with  them  a  desire  so  great  to  visit  the  land  that  produces  such 
marvelous  flowers,  I  fear  I  shall  not  be  contented  or  entirely 
happy  until  I  have  seen  them  growing  in  their  native  soil." 

Hedges  of  callas  and  geraniums  are  common  here,  and  the 
heliotrope  is  trained  as  we  would  train  the  honeysuckle  vine  in 
the  East. 

I  saw  some  fine  groves  of  apricots  and  olives  growing,  and 
the  English  walnut  is  extensively  cultivated.  The  friends  who 
entertained  me  while  at  San  Jose  raised  their  own  English  wal- 
nuts, and  cured  and  prepared  their  raisins. 

I  became  interested  in  the  curing  of  raisins  while  in  Cali- 
fornia. Much  attention  is  being  given  to  it.  They  have  two 
methods  of  preparing  them.  One  method  consists  in  partially 
cutting  through  the  stalk  of  the  ripened  bunches  of  grapes  and 
allowing  them  to  shrink  and  dry  upon  the  vines  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun.  By  the  other  method  they  are  gathered  and  hung  on 
lines,  or  laid  on  prepared  floors  to  dry  in  the  sun.  When  dried 
they  are  dipped  in  a  hot  lye,  to  which  is  added  olive  oil  and  a 
little  salt.  After  dipping,  the  fruit  is  laid  on  hurdles  of  wicker- 
work  to  drain,  and  is  constantly  exposed  to  the  sun  for  about  a 
fortnight.  The  raisins  are  then  pulled  from  the  stalk  and 
packed  into  boxes  ready  for  the  eastern  markets. 


WILD    VERBENA. 

From  Los  Angeles  to  Long  Beach  is  two-thirds  of  a  day's 
travel  ;  at  least  it  was  when  I  visited  the  place — by  this  time  the 
railroad  is  finished  through  to  the  Beach,  I  am  quite  sure.  It 
has  a  lovely  beach  and  is  a  place  that  has  much  promise.  It  will 
attract  the  better  class  wishing  quiet  and  good  bathing.  I  am 
told,  in  the  extreme  hot  season  families  take  their  tents  and  pitch 
them  in  some  nice  sheltered  place  on  the  beach  and  remain  there 
for  many  weeks. 

At  this  place  I  found  under  peculiar  circumstances  the  wild 
verbena.  I  had  started  out  quite  early  in  the  morning,  having 
been  directed  where  I  would  be  likely  to  find  it  growing.  I  had 
heard  much  of  the  plant,  and  came  here  purposely  to  make  a 
study  of  it. 

I  had  walked  what  seemed  to  me  a  mile  or  more  along  the 
beach,  and  not  finding  the  flower  I  so  much  desired,  had  turned 
back  quite  discouraged.  I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when 
a  dog  came  leaping  over  the  embankment  and  ran  to  me,  much 
to  my  alarm;  but  I  soon  discovered  that  he  meant  only  kindness. 
He  would  run  ahead,  then  wait  until  I  came  up  to  him  ;  some- 
times he  would  return  and  leap  and  jump  about  me  and  then  run 
on  ahead  again.  He  kept  on  in  this  way  for  quite  a  half  hour, 
when,  nearing-  a  grove  of  trees  a  short  distance  ahead,  he  ran 

o  o 

toward  them.      I  thought  he  had  decided   to  leave   me,  and  so 
walked  on,  but   in   a  moment  he  came  barking  toward   me.      I 


28  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

patted  him  on  the  head  and  he  again  turned  toward  the  trees. 
I  stood  still,  and  when  he  turned  and  saw  me  standing,  he 
howled  most  piteously.  I  went  toward  him.  He  immediately 
went  on,  turning  every  instant  to  look  at  me.  I  could  not 
understand  the  dog,  but  followed  him.  When  he  saw  me 
coming  he  commenced  his  old  playful  manner.  Suddenly  he 
stopped  and  lay  down.  Directly  in  front  of  him  I  saw  a 
beautiful  vine  of  wild  verbena. 

I  can  not  tell  you  my  astonishment.  I  looked  at  the  verbena, 
then  at  the  dog,  who  had  stretched  himself  out  as  if  intending  to 
remain.  I  seated  myself  beside  him,  and  the  three  hours  I  spent 
in  making  my  painting  of  this,  the  finest  specimen  I  have  ever 
seen  of  wild  verbena,  the  faithful  animal  never  left  me,  but 
remained  quiet,  sometimes  asleep,  sometimes  looking  at  my  hand 
as  it  applied  the  colors. 

When  finished  he  came  with  me  to  the  hotel.  I  went  to  the 
office  to  inquire  if  any  one  knew  the  dog;  when  they  came  out  to 
look  at  him  he  had  gone. 

I  walked  again  on  the  beach  the  next  morning,  in  hopes  of 
seeing  my  kind  companion  of  the  day  before,  but  he  did  not  come. 
I  went  to  the  place  I  had  first  seen  him  and  called,  but  he  was 
not  to  be  seen.  I  inquired  of  some  small  boys  who  I  felt  sure 
would  know  him  from  my  description.  No,  they  never  "See  no 
such  cur."  "He  is  not  a  cur,"  I  answered,  "  but  a  beautiful, 
intelligent  dog."  "  Well,  maybe  he  be,  but  we  ain't  seen  him." 

It  was  with  much  regret  I  left  Long  Beach  without  again 
seeing  the  best  friend  I  met  while  there. 


BLUE    BELLS. 

On  one  of  my  trips  out  of  San  Francisco  I  visited  a  pretty 
town  called  San  Rafael.  I  should  say  I  started  to  visit  it.  In 
the  same  car  with  me  I  noticed  a  little  boy,  whose  face  had  such 
an  anxious  look  I  became  interested  in  him.  A  woman  sat 
beside  him,  and  on  her  face  he  seemed  to  constantly  keep  his 
eyes. 

As  we  neared  the  town  he  said,  "  Now  this  is  San  Rafael. 
Let  us  get  out."  And  picking  up  his  bag  he  stood  ready.  The 
woman  did  not  move  but  said  : 

"  Keep  your  seat,  we  go  further." 

"  You  told  me  we  were  coming  here." 

No  answer  from  the  woman. 

"Where  are  you  going  to  take  me  ?"  and  the  tears  that  had 
been  ready  all  along  sprang  out,  while  the  boy  continued  to  look 
in  the  woman's  face,  the  muscles  of  which  never  moved. 

The  train  started.  "Where  are  you  going?"  He  did  not 
say  mother,  neither  did  he  address  her  by  name,  but  he  had 
such  a  thin  little  face,  and  such  great  sad  eyes,  my  heart  went 
out  to  the  little  fellow,  and  so  interested  had  I  become  in  him, 
I  had  forgotten  to  get  off  at  San  Rafael,  and  found  myself 
carried  alono;  I  knew  not  where. 

o 

We  had  gone  quite  a  distance  when  the  woman  looked 
out  of  the  window  on  my  side  of  the  car.  The  boy  followed  the 
look,  so  did  I,  and  saw  a  huge  pile  of  buildings,  on  the  top  of 


30  WILD   FLOWERS   OF  THE   PACIFIC  COAST. 

which  a  wooden  cross  stood  out  plain  and  clear  against 
the  sky. 

"You're  not  going  to  take  me  there?'  cried  the  boy,  and 
his  little  hands  clutched  her  arm. 

By  this  time  we  reached  the  platform,  and  the  huge  buildings 
under  the  cross  were  before  us.  The  woman  picked  up  the  bag, 
and  taking  the  child  by  the  arm  they  got  off  the  train.  I  followed. 
Neither  the  woman  nor  the  boy  seemed  to  notice  me.  He, 
poor  child,  saw  nothing  but  the  woman's  face  and  the  buildings. 

A  path  led  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  inclosure,  and  the 
woman,  taking  the  child  by  the  hand,  walked  rapidly  ahead. 

"  Oh  !  what  have  I  done  ?  Please  don't  take  me  there,"  I 
heard  the  child  saying,  but  the  woman  never  spoke,  but  walked 
quickly  on.  As  she  reached  the  gate  it  opened  as  if  by  magic, 
and  the  two  disappeared  behind  it. 

I  stood  in  the  path  with  an  ache  in  my  heart  for  the  child 
behind  the  gate,  who  did  not  know  "what  he  had  done,"  or 
"  why  he  was  taken  there." 

My  situation  was  rather  ludicrous.  I  stood  there  alone, 
not  a  person  to  be  seen.  I  walked  back  to  the  little  platform 
and  saw  on  a  poster  that  the  train  would  not  return  in  six  hours. 

Green  fields  were  all  about  me,  arid  in  the  distance  a  piece 
of  woods  that  looked  cool  and  inviting. 

I  walked  over  to  them  and  found  these  pretty  blue 
flowers,  with  the  dew  still  upon  them.  As  I  sketched  them 
the  dew  disappeared,  and  so,  we  will  hope,  the  tears  did  from 
the  face  of  the  dear  little  child. 


SNAP-DRAGON. 

The  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  of  California  are  the  largest 
and  most  interesting  chain  of  mountains  in  the  United  States. 
The  range,  starting  from  Mt.  St.  Bernardino,  is  about  four 
hundred  mdes  long,  its  peaks  in  places  towering  high  above  the 
snow  line,  Mt.  Whitney  being  about  six  hundred  feet  higher 
than  any  peak  yet  measured  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  All  of 
the  very  high  peaks  of  the  Sierra  are  of  granite.  In  the  north- 
ern part  there  are  peaks  of  metamorphic  rock,  and  many  of  the 
summits  show  volcanic  materials.  Lassen  Peak,  10,577  feet»  and 
Mount  Shasta,  14,440  feet  (above  the  sea),  are  extinct  volcanoes. 

Like  an  emerald  ring  encircling  this  huge  finger,  are  rich 
ranches  to  be  found  at  its  basef  and  far  up  the  sides  of  the 
mountains.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  entertained  at  one 
of  these  delightful  places.  While  there,  I  had  for  my  particu- 
lar use  a  fine  saddle-horse,  and  his  constant  companion  was  a 
dog  that  belonged  to  no  particular  breed,  and  made  up  in  faith- 
fulness what  he  lacked  in  beauty. 

One  morning  after  an  hour's  ride  I  dismounted  by  a  lovely 
bed  of  moss,  and  having  tied  the  horse  to  a  young  branch,  I 
was  soon  interested  in  examining  the  cells  and  delicate  colorings 
of  the  moss  through  a  small  magnifymg-glass. 

The  loud  barking  of  the  dog  attracted  my  attention,  and  I 
looked  up,  to  discover  the  horse  quietly  walking  up  the  side  of 
the  mountain,  nipping  the  young  leaves  as. he  passed  along. 


32  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST. 

I  called  whoa  !  He  paid  not  the  least  attention  to  me,  but 
walked,  as  I  thought,  a  little  faster.  I  quickened  my  pace  ;  so 
did  he.  He  kept  close  to  the  side  of  the  mountain;  so  did  I  ;  for 
the  path  grew  narrower  and  more  difficult.  The  space  between  us 
widened  as  we  ascended.  Turning  a  sharp  angle  I  saw  a  small 
clearing  and  a  house  artistically  built  of  logs  against  the  side  of 
the  mountain.  I  stood  still,  both  from  surprise  and  fatigue,  and 
saw  the  horse  walk  straight  up  to  the  door.  The  door  opened  ;  a 
man  came  out.  He  patted  the  horse,  and  that  miserable  animal 
that  had  not  allowed  me  to  get  within  reach  of  his  head,  actually 
laid  it  upon  the  man's  shoulder  as  if  caressing  him. 

Hot,  dusty,  my  face  red,  and  dress  torn,  I  stood  hesitating 
what  to  do.  The  dog  decided  for  me.  He  gave  a  loud  bark 
and  ran  forward.  The  man  looked  toward  the  dog  and  discovered 
me.  He  raised  his  hat  and  came  forward,  saying,  "  I  fear  Dick 
has  given  you  a  hard  chase.  I  have  owned  that  horse  for  six 
years,  and  only  last  spring  sold  him  to  the  people  on  the  ranche 
below.  This  is  the  first  chance  he  has  had  to  run  home,  and  I 
am  glad  to  see  him.  Will  you  come  in  ? ' 

"If  this  is  his  old  home  I  will  stay  long  enough  to  give 
him  a  little  visit,"  I  said. 

Inside  the  log  house  I  found  the  man's  wife,  a  woman  of  rare 
intelligence,  who  spent  much  time  each  day  in  collecting  and 
pressing  wild  flowers.  It  was  near  their  place  I  found  this  snap- 
dragon. It  grew  in  great  abundance  here,  and  I  chose  it  as 
the  finest  of  the  flora  seen  during  my  stay  in  the  ranche  in 
the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains. 


SHOOTING    STAR. 

This  pretty  cluster  of  stately  little  flowers  came  from  River 
Side,  and  reminds  me  of  lovely  homes,  orange  groves,  and 
beautiful  gardens  of  cultivated  flowers. 

Of  all  the  wild  flowers  I  found  here  I  thought  the  shooting 

o  o 

star  the  finest.  It  grows  in  a  modest  sort  of  way,  n  little  bush 
here  and  there,  shooting  straight  up  as  if  to  hold  its  head  above 
its  neighbors  before  uncovering  the  handsome  face  to  the  gaze  of 
its  companions,  and  then  blushes  and  looks  down,  never  again 
daring  to  raise  its  pretty  face.  One  of  the  blossoms  of  this 
pretty  bunch  I  saw  open.  It  was  early  morning,  and  when  I 
made  my  sketch  a  fine  large  bud  was  the  first  "  laid  on,"  and 
when  I  had  quickly  sketched  the  others  and  was  about  to  finish 
the  bud,  I  thought  it  moved.  I  looked  closely  and  saw  one  of 
the  leaves  slowly  unfold,  then  another  quietly  spread  out  its 
lavender  loveliness,  and  soon  the  bud  I  had  carefully  sketched  in 
stood  before  me  a  full-blown  flower. 

With  this  flower  I  associate  one  of  the  finest  orange  groves 
it  was  my  pleasure  to  visit  while  on  the  coast.  I  had  finished 
my  work  and  was  starting  back  to  my  hotel,  when  I  met  a  little 
boy — a  manly  little  fellow  about  four  years  old.  He  was  walking 
in  the  center  of  the  road,  and  with  each  step  a  little  cloud  of  dust 
followed  him.  He  seemed  so  interested  in  these  little  whirl- 
winds he  did  not  notice  me  until  I  spoke  to  him. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  my  little  man  ?" 


34  WILD    FLOWERS    OF    THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

"  I's  doing  home,"  with  a  vigorous  kick  at  the  dust. 

"  Where  is  your  home,  little  boy  ? ' 

"In  heben,"  he  answered. 

I  was  amused  by  his  answer,  and  leading  him  by  the  hand 
to  a  large  stone  by  the  roadside,  I  sat  down  and  questioned  him. 
I  found  out  the  little  fellow  was  lost.  He  did  not  know  in  which 
direction  was  his  home,  as  he  said  all  of  them  were  right.  He 
wanted  to  sit  on  my  lap.  I  took  him  up,  and  in  a  few  moments 
the  tired  little  fellow  lay  in  my  arms,  asleep. 

The  situation  was  growing  interesting.  There  I  sat  on  the 
highway  with  a  strange  little  boy  in  my  arms  sound  asleep.  I 
was  wondering  what  I  should  do  with  him,  when  a  carnage 

O  <~J 

drawn  by  foaming  horses  came  dashing  down  the  road.  As  they 
came  near  me,  I  heard  a  scream,  so  sudden  and  painful  I  nearly 
dropped  the  child  from  my  lap  from  fright.  The  horses  stopped, 
a  woman  jumped  out,  and  running  toward  me,  she  called,  "Oh, 
Richie,  darling,  has  mamma  found  you  ? "  and  almost  snatched 
the  boy  from  my  arms.  If  she  was  glad  to  find  her  child,  I  was 
more  than  pleased  to  have  him  found.  Gathering  up  my 
sketches,  I  was  about  to  "  move  on,"  when  the  mother  rushed 
at  me. 

"Oh,  tell  me,  where  did  you  find  my  darling  ?  I  have  been 
nearly  wild  ! '  I  explained,  and  then  she  discovered  the  sketches 
in  my  hand.  Soon  we  were  very  good  friends.  It  ended  in  my 
driving  with  them  to  their  home  in  one  of  those  beautiful  groves 
of  orange  trees,  from  the  odor  of  which  one  could  imagine  the 
procession  of  a  thousand  brides  passing. 


WILD    PEONY. 

Southern  California  has  many  beautiful  towns  ;  one  of  them 
is  Pasadina.  Its  fine  situation,  even  and  delightful  climate, 
make  it  one  of  the  favorite  resorts  for  both  winter  and  summer. 

It  is  in  this  lovely  place  the  celebrated  Raymond  Hotel  is 
situated.  In  the  distance  can  be  seen  "Old  Baldy"  covered  with 
snow,  and  nearer  the  magnificent  range  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
mountains.  Below,  and  at  the  very  foot-hills,  fine  ranches  can  be 
easily  traced  by  their  rich  fields  of  growing  grain,  and  here  and 
there  the  golden  poppy  claims  the  ground,  and  looks  like  a  bright 
yellow  carpet.  So  vivid  is  its  color  that  patches  of  them  can  be 
seen  for  miles. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  entertained,  while  stopping  in 
this  charming  place,  by  a  lady  whose  home  was  on  the  ridge, 
and  in  the  midst  of  a  fine  orange  grove.  On  the  trees  could  be 
seen  oranges,  ripe  and  green,  and  orange  blossoms.  It  seemed  so 
strange  to  me  to  see  the  blossoms  on  the  same  tree  with  the  ripe 
fruit.  The  odor  from  this  grove  of  orange  trees  was  delicious. 
The  early  morning  was  to  me  the  pleasantest  part  of  the  day. 
I  was  assigned  the  task  of  picking  the  oranges  for  breakfast, 
after  being  taught  to  know  the  full  ripe  ones,  which  I  assure  you 
is  a  great  knowledge. 

The  pretty  little  cottage  was  nearly  covered  with  rose-vines. 
They  ran  far  up  on  the  roof,  and  were  just  coming  into  blossom. 
The  place  seemed  like  fairy-land.  Who  could  not  be  happy  in 


36  \VILU    FLOWERS    OF  THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

such  a  home  with  such  surroundings  ?  Just  back  of  the  house 
was  the  "Arroyo,"  and  I  was  told  it  was  a  perfect  garden  of 
wild  flowers.  A  path  well  trod  by  lovers  of  Nature  led  me 
down  to  the  very  bed  of  the  river. 

It  was  here  I  found  the  peony,  a  bush  here  and  there,  the 
branches  lying  on  the  ground.  In  growth  they  resemble  the 
cultivated  peony  ;  the  flower,  as  you  see,  being  much  smaller, 
but  extremely  rich  in  color. 

There  is  something  about  the  blossom  of  the  wild  peony 
that  reminds  me  of  a  human  face,  and  to  this  one  with  its  face 
turned  toward  me,  I  felt  like  apologizing  for  disturbing  it. 

On  my  walk  back  to  the  house  I  passed  many  varieties, 
and  marked  the  spot  of  those  I  wished  to  secure,  and  promised 
each  an  early  visit. 

The  sun  had  set  long  before  I  reached  the  ridge,  and  near 
the  top  I  found  my  friend  anxiously  waiting  my  return. 

"You  have  remained  out  too  late,"  she  said.  "The  Arroyo 
is  a  dangerous  place  after  the  sun  has  disappeared  from  it." 

"Tramps!'    I  asked  in  alarm. 

"Oh!  no,  no  tramps,  but  those  that  tramp  in  it  are  in 
danger  from  the  damp  chilly  air  that  takes  the  place  of  the  sun- 
shine. But  come,  a  good  hot  cup  of  tea  will  make  you  all  right." 

Every  moment  spent  in  and  near  this  beautiful  place  was  a 
delight  to  me.  The  days  were  too  short,  was  the  only  regret  I 
had  while  here,  but  every  hour  from  the  moment  the  sun  made 
its  appearance  until  it  disappeared,  found  me,  like  the  lovely 
flowers,  enjoying  its  rays,  and  like  them  I  thrived  on  it. 


CHINESE- CIGARETTE-BLOSSOM 


CHINESE    CIGARETTE    BLOSSOM. 

While  I  was  visiting  Pasadina,  my  friend  took  me  to  drive, 
and  we  paid  a  visit  to  that  most  interesting  of  all  missions,  "San 
Gabriel." 

The  Spanish  woman  in  charge  was  found.  She  came  with 
the  huge  key  in  her  hand.  She  looked  at  us  for  a  moment,  then 
opened  the  great  door  with  her  great  key  and  walked  in  ;  we  fol- 
lowed. As  we  stepped  upon  the  stone  floor,  worn  smooth  with 
the  thousands  of  feet  belonging  to  the  thousands  of  souls  now  in 
eternity,  a  feeling  of  awe  came  over  me.  The  Spanish  guide 
motioned  us  to  go  up  to  the  chancel.  I  would  have  obeyed  her 
had  she  commanded  me  to  kneel,  or  take  any  other  position,  so 
helpless  and  insignificant  did  I  feel.  We  went  up  to  the  chan- 
cel and  the  guide  pointed  to  the  altar;  not  a  word  did  she  speak. 
I  wished  she  would,  but  I  had  not  the  courage  to  address  her  in 
this  sacred  ancient  place.  The  carvings  and  brasses  about  the 
altar  were  quaint  and  very  old.  My  friend,  who  was  a  good 
Christian  woman,  whispered,  "  Do  you  believe  these  carvings 
represent  the  Apostles?"  I  could  not  answer  her,  neither  could 
I  prevent  a  smile.  Oh !  fatal  smile ;  the  guide  saw  it,  and  with 
her  finger  motioned  us  toward  the  door.  We  walked  out  like 

o 

two  culprits,  and  if  the  little  windows  had  not  been  up  very  near 
the  roof,  I  am  sure  I  should  have  tried  to  escape  through  one. 

At  the  door  we  met  a  party  coming  in.  Their  guide  was  a 
Spaniard  and  spoke  English.  He  handed  his  party  over  to  the 


38  WILD    FLOWERS    OF    THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

silent  Spanish  woman,  and  asked  most  politely  "  if  he  could  be 
of  any  service  to  us."  I  told  him  of  my  errand  and  desire  to 
secure  something  from  this  interesting  place.  He  "would  be 
most  happy,  senora,"  and  leading  us  through  the  old  house  of  the 
priests  into  the  grounds  of  the  mission,  we  found  ourselves  among 
the  tombs  of  the  monks,  one  of  which  attracted  my  attention.  It 
seemed  the  oldest.  The  inscription  was  entirely  gone,  and  across 
the  top  the  bees  were  going  in  and  out  through  a  large  crack.  It 
made  me  think  of  the  court  riddle  so  familiar  to  all,  "  As  they 
went  out  and  in  again,  from  the  dead  the  living  came,"  etc. 

Growing  near,  with  its  branches  shading  the  tomb,  was  a 
Chinese  cigarette  bush.  I  selected  this  bunch  of  blossoms  in  my 
sketch  because  it  was  the  nearest  to  the  tomb  and  the  wind  swayed 
it  back  and  forth  over  the  ashes  of  the  monk  who  had  rested 
there  more  than  a  hundred  years. 

The  missions  of  California  are  very  old  and  interesting. 
Lower  California  was  entered  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  1697. 
The  first  mission  founded  was  in  1769.  They  built  in  all 
twenty-one  mission  establishments.  The  last  built  was  in  1820. 

They  selected  for  their  sites  the  garden  spots  of  the  penin- 
sula, and  throve  remarkably  until  1822,  when  Mexico  became 
independent  of  Spain.  This  event  was  a  death-blow  to  the 
Franciscans'  establishments,  and  from  that  time  forward  they  lost 
ground,  and  in  1840  were  broken  up  altogether. 


>. 


WILD    HELIOTROPE. 

It  was  my  second  day  at  Los  Angeles  when  some  friends 
calling,  said,  "We  are  going  in  the  country  for  the  day,  will  you 
come  with  us  ? ' 

"Yes,  I  would  be  so  glad  to  go."  W7e  drove  toward 
Pasadina,  and  when  a  few  miles  out  we  chose  a  pretty  spot, 
cool  and  shady,  and  prepared  to  remain  the  clay. 

The  country  between  Pasadina  and  Los  Angeles  is  very 
beautiful,  and  the  place  chosen  for  our  picnic  commanded  a 
view  of  the  country  for  miles  around.  In  the  distance  we  could 
see  the  handsome  hotel  called  "The  Raymond,"  a  portion  of 
Pasadina  and  the  City  of  Los  Angeles. 

A  new  town  was  being  laid  out  near,  and  the  hundreds  of 
men  in  their  red  flannel  shirts,  with  shovel  and  spade  glistening 
in  the  sunshine  as  they  flew  in  and  out  the  ground,  made  a  pretty 
picture. 

I  found  many  varieties  of  wild  flowers  here  :  the  Mariposa 
lily  in  great  abundance,  and  was  about  to  choose  it  for  my  study, 
when  a  little  girl  in  our  party  came  running  to  me. 

"Oh  !  come  and  see  what  a  beautiful  flower  I  have  found. 
I  did  not  pick  it,  for  there  were  no  others  like  it.  Do  come." 

I  went  with  the  child  down  in  a  ravine,  and  there  found 
growing  on  a  little  mound  this  lovely  heliotrope.  It  stood  alone 
with  the  lavender  blossoms  on  the  very  top,  spread  out  like 
little  plumes.  I  thought  it  so  beautiful  and  wonderful.  It  was 


40  WILD    FLOWERS    OF    THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

the  first  wild  heliotrope  I  had  ever  seen.  Since  then  I  have 
seen  acres  of  them  in  full  bloom,  but  they  have  not  lost  their 
beauty,  and  will  always  remain  my  favorite  flower. 

I  gave  this  sketch  more  time  than  any  other  in  my  collection, 
the  flower  is  so  finely  marked  and  delicate  in  its  growth. 

A  stranger  entering  Los  Angeles  finds  it  difficult  to  under- 
stand what  nationality  claims  the  city.  We  see  the  little  adobe 
houses  of  the  Mexicans,  the  most  of  them  with  no  windows,  the 
door  letting  in  the  only  light.  Now  and  then  a  Mexican  family 
can  be  seen  sitting  on  the  steps  and  in  the  doorway  chatting  and 
laughing  and  seemingly  very  happy. 

A  little  further  on  the  Chinaman  places  his  name  above  the 
door,  and  one  is  told  in  very  bad  English  that  Wang  Lee  and 
Wong  Tong  and  many  other  Wangs  and  Tongs  will  do  your 
washing  cheap. 

We  turn  the  corner  of  the  street  and  meet  the  Spanish 
woman  with  her  headdress  of  Spanish  lace,  and  her  coal-black 
eyes  that  are  ready  to  snap  if  you  do  not  give  her  more  than  half 
the  sidewalk.  And,  anxious  to  give  her  all,  we  run  against  an 
Italian,  whose  tall,  slender  figure  looks  taller  as  we  make  our 
apologies  and  he  bows  in  turn  his  acknowledgment. 

A  Frenchman  waits  upon  us  at  table  and  a  German  servant 
will  tell  you  the  city  was  settled  by  her  country  people. 

Americans  you  find  here,  some  for  their  health,  others  for 
the  lovely  climate,  choosing  it  for  their  winter  home. 

Flowers  blossom  all  winter  long  in  the  gardens,  like  a  per- 
petual spring. 


'  -  •  '   •-  •. 


"TIDY-TIPS." 

Does  this  bright  stylish  blossom  look  as  if  it  could  in  any 
way  be  connected  with  a  Chinaman  ?  Well,  it  is,  for  to  one  I 
am  indebted  for  it. 

It  was  while  I  was  at  Santa  Barbara  a  young  Chinaman 
was  the  chambermaid  of  the  house  in  which  I  was  stopping.  He 
did  up  my  room  promptly  and  neatly ;  he  always  wore  white  and 
it  was  white,  not  a  spot  or  wrinkle  in  his  suit. 

While  at  Santa  Barbara  I  made  many  sketches,  finding  the 
flowers  at  this  place  very  fine. 

I  noticed  that  John  made  numerous  trips  near  my  table 
while  tidying  up  my  room,  and  I  know  he  was  watching  my 
brush  as  it  washed  in  the  colors. 

Spending  a  morning  out  in  search  of  something  new,  and 
not  finding  it,  I  came  home  tired,  and  I  fear  a  little  cross.  I  met 
John  near  the  door,  but  did  not  notice  him,  and  went  directly 
into  my  room.  There  I  found  in  a  glass  of  water  on  my  table 
these  handsome  tidy-tips. 

"  Oh,"  I  exclaimed,  "  they  are  just  what  I  have  been  look- 
ing for!  Where  did  they  come  from?"  They  were  prettily 
arranged  and  looked  fresh,  as  if  just  picked.  There  was  no 
card.  I  would  go  to  the  office  and  inquire. 

As  I  went  out  into  the  hall,  there  stood  John,  and  smilingly 
asked : 

"You  likee?" 


42  WILD    FLOWERS    OF    THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  very  much.     Where  did  you  get  them  ?" 

"  Woods,  pickey,"  and  he  was  gone 

When  my  sketch  was  finished,  I   asked  him  how  he  liked 
them. 

He  danced  about,  first  on  one  foot  and  then  on  the  other, 
and  grinned. 

"  Me  likee  much  ;   me  likee  big  !  ' 

We  hear  much  about  the  Chinamen,  and  little  in  their  favor, 
but  during  my  stay  on  the  coast,  I  found  them  excellent  servants. 

While  in  San  Francisco  I  went  with  a  large  party  of  friends, 
protected  by  a  detective,  to  the  Chinese  quarters.  I  went  into 
the  cellars,  and  saw  the  old  blind  woman  and  her  cats,  "the  joss 
house  '  and  the  opium  dens,  and  saw  the  inhabitants  stowed 
away  like  so  many  sardines.  But  I  must  not  surround  my  pretty 
tidy-tips  with  this  dense  atmosphere.  They  came  from  the 
lovely  woods  where  the  air  is  pure,  and  the  sunshine  beautifies 
every  thing  it  shines  upon.  There  is  no  place  it  shines  more 
beautifully  than  at  Santa  Barbara.  My  visit  there  was  after  the 
rainy  season,  and  every  thing  in  Nature  was  fresh  and  lovely. 
The  clouds  had  disappeared,  the  small  white  watering-pots  of 
heaven,  each  one  trying  to  outdo  the  other  in  their  sprinkle, 
had  exhausted  themselves  and  floated  away  to  rest,  leaving  the 
sky  clear  and  blue  for  the  rest  of  the  year. 


SNOW     PLANT. 

After  our  arrival  in  the  Yosemite  Valley  my  first  inquiry 
was  : 

"Where  shall  I  be  likely  to  find  the  snow  plant?" 

"On  Glacier  Point,"  answered  the  polite  attendant. 

"I  will  go  there;  how  soon  can  I  leave?"  He  looked  at 
me  a  moment  before  answering:  "You  are  obliged  to  start  in  the 
morning.  It  is  a  day's  trip,  and  you  need  three  very  important 
things :  A  steady  head,  a  good  horse,  and  an  experienced 
guide." 

"  I  have  the  head,  and  if  you  will  engage  for  me  the  horse 
and  guide,  I  will  be  ready  to  start  in  the  morning."  An  English 
friend  and  his  wife  joined  me,  and  we  left  the  next  morning  at 
seven  o'clock.  Our  guide  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  valley,  an 
Indian  by  birth. 

Our  horses  were  regular  trail  horses,  and  were  not  to  be 
guided,  so  we  gave  them  the  rein  but  kept  a  firm  hold  for  fear 
of  their  stumbling. 

About  half  way  up,  and  as  we  came  to  a  wider  trail,  called 
the  "  meeting  place,"  I  ventured  to  look  down.  Never  shall  I 
forget  the  sight.  It  happened  to  be  directly  opposite  the 
Yosemite  Falls.  The  day  before  I  had  looked  at  them  from  the 
porch  of  my  hotel,  and  thought  them  thousands  of  feet  high  ; 
now  I  looked  down  upon  them,  and  could  see  the  river  on  the 
mountain  which  gave  them  their  supply.  They  were  grand 


44  WILD  FLOWERS  OF  THE    PACIFIC    COAST. 

beyond  description.  On  comes  the  river  until  it  reaches  the 
edge  of  the  precipice,  then  it  becomes  a  raging,  roaring  mass, 
sending  thousands  of  glistening  diamonds  into  the  beautiful  veil 
of  soft  mist  below. 

Our  guide  reminds  us  it  is  time  to  start ;  we  mount  our 
horses  and  turn  with  regret  from  the  beautiful  sight.  The  path 
now  becomes  more  narrow,  the  turns  sharper  and  more  difficult. 
On  one  side  the  mountain,  on  the  other,  and  within  a  few  inches, 
a  chasm  over  two  thousand  feet  deep.  We  are  silent,  not  a  word 
is  spoken  until  the  English  lady  exclaims  to  her  husband,  who  is 
just  behind  her,  "  Oh,  John!  take  me  off  or  I  shall  drop  my 
head." 

"  Keep  your  seat,  madam,"  shouts  the  guide — "  in  a  moment 
we  shall  be  on  Glacier  Point ; "  and  so  we  were.  Suddenly 
the  path  widens,  and  we  find  ourselves  on  a  beautiful  plateau, 
with  a  forest  of  trees  in  front  of  us,  at  the  edge  of  which  stands  a 
pretty  little  hotel. 

After  a  good  luncheon,  I  start  out  with  the  guide  to  find  the 
much-coveted  snow  plant.  After  riding  through  the  wood  for  a 
mile  or  so,  we  find  three  fine  specimens.  The  snow  was  just 
disappearing  from  the  ground  around  them,  and  they  looked  like 
little  monuments  of  red  ice  glistening  in  the  sunshine.  It  is 
their  own  natural  glisten  that  makes  them  so  wondrously  beau- 
tiful. The  color  and  drawing  of  my  sketch  is  correctly  given  ; 
but  for  the  "glisten,"  think  of  it  as  a  mold  of  red  ice,  this  shape 
and  color,  with  the  bright  sunshine  upon  it,  and  you  have  some 
idea  of  the  wonderful  flower. 


FORGET-ME-NOT. 

It  was  while  we  were  on  Glacier  Point,  and  after  a  good 
night's  rest,  that  we  paid  a  visit  to  the  Dome,  a  point  in  the 
mountain  the  highest  I  ever  wish  to  visit. 

While  our  guide  led  the  way  through  a  forest  of  beautiful 
trees,  it  was  difficult  to  imagine  ourselves  on  the  top  of  a  mount- 
ain thousands  of  feet  above  the  Yosemite  Valley. 

We  follow  on  a  well-beaten  path,  and  as  we  ride  along  see 
many  varieties  of  wild  flowers ;  here  and  there  the  snow 
plant  stands,  dignified  and  alone,  like  a  little  red  sentinel  keeping 
watch  over  the  aerial  domain. 

With  every  step  we  are  going  higher  and  higher,  but  so 
gradually  we  do  not  notice  it.  Then  the  ride  is  so  cool  and 
pleasant,  we  are  thoroughly  enjoying  every  moment.  Here 
and  there  we  see  lying  on  the  ground  the  trunk  of  an  immense 
tree  that  is  fast  going  to  decay,  and  we  know  from  the  living 
trees  and  their  reputation  for  hard  and  lasting  wood,  that  these 
monsters  must  have  lain  there  for  scores  of  years;  and  while 
every  thing  is  so  new  and  wonderful  to  us,  it  is  not  easy  to 
imagine  it  has  been  just  the  same,  with  the  same  trees  and 
rocks,  for  thousands  and  thousands  of  years. 

The  absence  of  birds  was  noticeable.  Not  a  note  did  I 
hear  while  making  this  trip  to  the  Dome,  and  yet  the  place  was 
most  inviting  for  them.  They  may  be  there  at  different  seasons 
of  the  year,  and  it  may  be  some  important  meeting  called  them 


WOOD   LILY. 

This  pretty  cluster  of  lilies  I  found  in  the  woods  in  the 
northern  part  of  Oregon,  through  which  runs  the  Oregon  Short 
Line  Railroad. 

Long  before  the  train  stopped  for  dinner,  I  had  noticed  little 
white  flowers  along  the  road-side,  but  so  swiftly  did  we  go 
I  could  not  tell  even  the  shape  of  the  blossoms.  When  the 
dinner  station  was  reached,  I  had  a  promise  from  the  conductor 
that  he  would  not  leave  me  ;  so,  while  the  others  were  taking 
their  dinner,  I  went  into  the  woods  and  found  this  pretty  cluster 
of  white  lilies.  They  grow  in  little  clumps,  just  as  I  have  given 
them  to  you.  I  carefully  dug  up  this  bunch,  and  arrived  at  the 
car  just  as  the  passengers  were  ready  to  enter  it. 

Making  inquiries,  I  found  I  could  spend  the  night  and  day 
at  the  little  house  used  for  an  eating  station,  and  I  decided  to 
remain  over  until  the  next  train. 

I  spent  the  afternoon  in  making  my  sketch.      Having  given 

up  my  dinner,  I  relished  an  early  tea.     Then  came  the  twilight, 

-a  scene   I   shall  ever  remember.     The  sky  became  a  delicate 

pink,    then  gold,    as  the    setting    sun    disappeared    behind    the 

forest.     The  voice  of  the  birds  was  hushed. 

The  little  house  which  was  to  shelter  me  for  the  night  was  the 
only  one  for  miles  around,  and  was  situated  in  the  heart  of  the 
great  woods.  It  was  so  quiet  and  peaceful,  a  rest  I  had  not  known 
for  weeks  came  to  me.  The  people  who  kept  the  place  seemed 


48  WILD     FLOWERS     OF    THE     PACIFIC     COAST. 

to  feel  the  same  quiet,  and  did  not,  as  was  often  my  experience, 
ask  questions.  The  longest  remark  put  to  me  during  that 
beautiful  twilight  was  : 

"  If  you  think  this  is  fine,  get  up  at  five  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning.       It'll   pay   you.     The    birds    will   keep   you  company 
-plenty  of  music  then." 

I  took  the  advice,  and,  as  has  been  said,  "  it  paid  me."  As 
the  sun  cast  its  glorious  rays  above  the  tree-tops,  it  seemed  as  if 
thousands  of  birds  sang  to  it  their  welcoming  song.  The  fresh 
morning  air,  laden  with  the  perfume  of  the  woods,  with  its 
countless  varieties  of  wild  flowers,  was  so  sweet  and  refreshing 
I  wished  the  whole  world,  or  the  people  in  it,  could  enjoy  it. 

From  this  little  station  to  Portland  was  just  a  day's  ride. 
The  following  morning  found  us  gliding  along  by  the  side  of  the 
Columbia  River,  whose  scenery  I  consider  far  more  grand 
and  beautiful  than  the  scenery  along  the  Hudson  River.  The 
banks  of  the  Columbia  are  covered  with  beautiful  trees  and 
flowering  shrubs.  Waterfalls  that  resemble  the  falls  in  the 
Yosemite  meet  the  eye  as  we  pass  along.  The  river  is  as  clear 
as  crystal,  and  the  reflections  of  the  mountains  are  so  perfect  one 
can  scarcely  tell  which  are  the  real. 

Beautiful  ferns  and  flowers  are  everywhere.  Just  before 
reaching  Portland  and  at  the  foot  of  the  "Bridal  Veil  Falls," 
I  saw  some  ferns  that  surpassed  in  beauty  any  I  had  ever  seen 
under  careful  cultivation.  Holding  their  stems  up  straight,  they 
came  far  above  my  head,  and  were  as  fine  and  delicate  as  the 
"  maiden's  hair"  fern. 


. 


AZALEA. 

It  was  while  visiting  the  Mariposa  grove  of  big  trees  I 
found  the  azalea:  a  fine  shrub  growing  from  four  to  six  feet  high, 
and  bearing  a  blossom  large,  and  rich  in  color,  from  pure  white 
to  a  deep  pink  ;  I  am  told  the  red  and  crimson  are  found, 
but  I  did  not  see  them. 

This  little  bunch  I  have  given  you  in  my  sketch  I  prized 
above  all  others  I  saw  while  in  the  valley. 

We  were  on  our  way  to  the  grove.  The  horses  were 
walking,  and  we  were  admiring  the  beautiful  scenery, when  suddenly 
we  heard  a  "  Hello!'  and  the  echo  answered  "Hello!!"  The 
driver  stopped  his  horses  and  looked  back.  "  Oh,  it's  old 
Rippen,"  and  he  called,  "Come  on,  I'll  wait  for  you." 

An  old  man  came  panting  up  the  hill. 

"  I  knew  you  would,  Jim.  I  thought  this  was  your  day. 
Load  light  or  heavy  ? " 

"  Neither  ;  but  room  enough  for  you.     Take  the  back  seat." 

As  he  climbed  in  I  saw  in  his  hand  a  bunch  of  azaleas,  the 
most  beautiful  blossoms  I  had  ever  seen.  He  saw  me  looking 
at  them,  and  said,  "Fine,  ain't  they?  You'd  see  nothing  like 
them  in  the  valley.  I  went  out  of  my  way  purpose  for  them.  I 
press  flowers,  madam,  and  there  ain't  much  in  the  valley  but 
what  I  have  in  my  collection.  Have  you  noticed  the  trees  ?' 

"  Yes,  I  have,  and  greatly  admired  them."  And  I  soon 
discovered  that  this  old  man  possessed  a  knowledge  of  the  trees 


5O  WILD     FLOWERS     OF     THE     1'ACIFIC     COAST. 

to  be  envied.  He  knew  the  name  of  every  tree  from  the  largest 
to  the  smallest  shrub. 

The  trees  of  California,  especially  in  the  Yosemite,  have  a 
grandeur  of  character  hardly  surpassed  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
Of  the  pines,  the  sugar  pine  (Pinus  Lambertiana)  I  think  the 
finest,  often  reaching  three  hundred  feet  in  height,  straight  and 

o  o  o 

dignified  in  its  bearing,  with  the  trunk  clear  of  limbs  for  twenty 
and  often  thirty  feet  from  the  base.  To  stand  on  the  ground  and 
look  up  at  its  top  branches  is  like  looking  miles  high,  and  one 
can  imagine  the  sun  shining  on  its  highest  leaves,  while  night 
has  nearly  overtaken  the  enormous  roots  that  arc  in  places  from 
one  to  three  feet  above  the  ground — come  out,  as  it  were,  to  look 
after  its  young  branches  that  every  year  are  growing  further  and 
further  away  from  their  parental  care. 

Of  the  other  trees  seen  on  our  trip,  one  I  remember  with 
special  interest  is  the  red  wood  (S.  sempervirens).  Magnificent 
forests  of  the  red  wood  are  found  in  the  counties  north  of  San 
Francisco  Bay,  and  are  limited  exclusively  to  this  one  species. 

Another  beautiful  tree  is  the  laurel  (Tetranthera  Califor- 
nica). 

The  well-known  ornamental  tree,  the  Pinus  Insignis,  found 
near  Monterey,  and  the  cypress  (Cupressus  macrocarpa),  of 
which  there  is  a  magnificent  grove  at  Cypress  Point,  are  valuable 
to  the  State.  These  are  but  a  few  of  the  names  of  her  grand 
collection,  and  California  has  cause  to  feel  proud  of  the  finest 
collection  of  woods  in  the  world. 


SPOTTED    LILY. 

Every  tourist  who  goes  into  the  Yosemite  Valley  is  visited 
soon  after  his  arrival  by  a  young  man,  who  informs  him  of 
the  many  places  of  interest,  how  to  get  to  them,  what  hour  to 
start,  and  all  information  that  it  is  possible  to  give  concerning 
them. 

You  can  visit  all,  or  if  you  are  proof  against  persuasion, 
you  can  make  your  choice.  I  would  advise  you  to  make  as  first 
choice  after  the  long  stage  ride,  a  visit  to  "  Mirror  Lake  "  and 
through  the  valley.  It  is  easy,  restful  and  grand. 

To  see  the  perfect  reflection  you  must  be  at  the  lake  just 
as  the  sun  is  rising.  The  morning  I  went  we  arrived  there, 
our  guide  said,  at  precisely  the  right  moment.  The  lake  was 
waveless  as  a  silver  floor,  the  reflection  perfect.  As  we  look  we 
see  Cloud's  Rest,  and  the  little  flag  is  waving.  Oh  !  and  there 
is  "  Mount  Watkins,"  and  yonder  "  South  Dome."  The  sun  is 
shining  on  the  cathedral  spires  and  reflected  on  "  El  Capitan." 
As  we  gaze  down  into  the  lake  we  wonder  which  is  the  real, 
and  wondering  we  become  infatuated  with  the  scene,  and  gaze 
until  the  guide  reminds  us  the  time  is  up.  As  I  turned  from 
the  lake  I  changed  my  position  and  gave  another  look,  and  saw 
in  the  water  these  pretty  spotted  lilies  I  have  given  you. 
The  colors  were  as  bright  in  the  shadow  as  those  in  the  sketch. 

O 

they  were  the  only  lilies  growing  near  the  lake,  and    I   thought 


52  WILD     FLOWERS     OF     THE     PACIFIC     COAST. 

them  worthy  of  being   reflected  on  paper,  and   a  pretty  souvenir 
of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  in  the  world. 

We  continued  our  drive  through  the  valley,  and  our  guide 
took  us  as  far  as  "  Inspiration  Point."  Words  are  too  tame 
and  insignificant  to  describe  the  view  from  this  point. 
In  front  "  El  Capitan  "  stands  in  one  magnificent  perpendicular 
line  from  base  to  summit,  three  thousand  feet  high,  standing 
guard  over  the  valley  broad.  Opposite  this  mighty  monster, 
and  falling  at  its  very  feet,  as  if  doing  homage  to  its  greatness, 
is  the  "  Bridal  Veil  Falls."  Beautiful,  fleecy,  swaying  foam, 
bounding  through  the  air  nearly  a  thousand  feet,  and  casting 
its  spray  like  a  blessing  on  all  who  pass  it. 

Next  is  seen  the  Three  Graces,  with  the  soft  purple  shadows 
thrown  like  garments  about  them,  and  then  the  ''South  Dome," 
and  further  on  the  summit  of  "  Cloud's  Rest ;"  and  now  we  are 
in  the  valley,  and  driving  quietly  by  the  side  of  the  lovely 
Mercede  River  we  pass  the  wigwams  of  some  of  the  native 
Indians  who  act  as  guides  and  fishermen  in  the  valley.  They 
will  catch  the  speckled  trout  when  other  fishermen,  with  their 
fine  fishing-tackle,  leave  discouraged.  The  women  pick  berries 
and  sell  them  at  the  hotels,  and  their  bright  and  artistic  dress 
adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings. 

Our  guide  takes  us  to  see  the  site  selected  for  the  grand 
hotel  which  is  to  be  built ;  then  to  our  hotel  where  breakfast 
awaits  us  :  the  spray  of  the  Yosemite  Falls  cooling  the  air, 
while  we  eat  the  trout  caught  by  our  guide  in  the  early  morning 
before  our  start. 


SALMON     BLOSSOMS     AND     PINK     GRASS. 

The  advertised  time  for  the  steamers  to  leave  Portland  for 
San  Francisco  is  midnight.  Long  before  that  hour  the  pas- 
sengers had  taken  possession  of  their  state-rooms.  At  ten  o'clock 
the  main  saloon  presented  a  gay  scene.  We  had  three  bridal 
parties  on  the  boat.  Each  bride  had  her  many  friends,  and  each 
friend  brought  flowers.  The  odor  of  the  flowers,  the  merry 
voices  of  the  bright  young  people,  and  the  many  colored  lights 
from  the  handsome  chandelier  thrown  upon  them,  made  a  bright 
and  pretty  picture. 

By  eleven  o'clock  the  saloon  was  quiet,  all  had  retired,  and 
when  the  huge  wheels  turned  quickly  in  their  start,  sleep  had 
taken  possession  of  the  passengers. 

The  early  morning  found  us  on  the  Columbia  River.  The 
sight  that  greeted  us  as  we  came  out  on  the  guards  was  grand 
and  impressive.  Hundreds  of  small  salmon  fishing  smacks  could 
be  seen  in  every  direction  as  we  neared  Astoria.  The  fisher- 
men had  stretched  enormous  nets  across  the  river,  and  on  two 
occasions  our  steamer  cut  through  them,  much  to  the  con- 
sternation of  their  owners,  who,  seeing  the  danger,  vigorously 
attempted  to  draw  them  in,  but  were  obliged  to  abandon  them  as 
the  great  steamer  cut  its  way,  regardless  of  the  damage  it  was 
doing  to  the  valuable  property  of  the  fishermen. 

Salmon  fishing  is  the  principal  occupation  of  the  male 
population  of  Astoria.  A  man  owning  his  little  sailboat  and 
fishing  nets  is  considered  to  have  a  good  start  in  life.  Immense 


54  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 

canning    factories    arc    situated    here,    and    the     finest    canned 
salmon  used  in  this  country  comes  from  Astoria. 

The  captain  informed  us  our  stop  at  Astoria  would  last  for 
several  hours,  as  the  freight  from  this  point  was  very  heavy. 
The  little  town  is  built  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  commands 
a  fine  view  of  the  river  and  surrounding  country. 

We  walked  to  the  top  of  the  principal  street  to  see  what 
once  bore  the  dignified  name  of  "  fort,"  and  was  told  that  "  Right 
here  on  this  spot  John  Jacob  Astor  built  his  forf  and  made  his 
first  trade  for  furs  with  the  Indians."  On  the  very  top  of  the 
mound  grew  this  fine  salmon  blossom,  and  a  few  feet  away  a  bed 
of  tall  pink  grass,  the  finest  I  had  ever  seen.  It  waved  and 
nodded  in  the  warm  breeze,  as  if  inviting  me  to  select  its  finest 
bunch  to  keep  company  with  the  pretty  white  blossoms  that 
had  been  its  neighbors,  and  from  whom  it  was  loth  to  part 
company. 

Our  stay  at  Astoria  was  quite  long  enough  to  give  me  time 
for  making  my  sketch,  and  by  the  time  the  "All  aboard"  was 
called  we  were  ready  for  the  good  dinner  that  was  waiting  for 
us.  How  handsome  the  cabin  looked  with  its  two  long  tables, 
every  seat  filled,  and  all  seemingly  bright  and  happy.  The 
brides  had  been  ashore  and  gathered  wild  flowers,  which  were 
artistically  arranged  in  their  belts.  It  was  a  pretty  sight,  and  to 
be  witnessed  but  once  on  that  trip.  At  three  o'clock  we  crossed 
the  bar,  and  I,  like  the  majority  of  the  passengers,  took  my 
berth,  not  to  leave  it  again  until  the  Golden  Gate  was  reached, 
and  San  Francisco  was  in  sight. 


MARIPOSA    LILY. 

It  was  on  our  way  out  from  the  grove  of  big  trees  that  I 
found  this  lovely  lily,— a  bed  of  them,  in  which  I  counted  four- 
teen distinct  markings.  Every  passenger  in  the  coach  got  out 
to  look  at  the  bed.  It  was  not  large,  being  about  four  or  five 
yards  in  circumference,  and  looked  as  if  planted  and  protected 
by  some  careful  hand.  The  flowers  looked  like  so  many  but- 
terflies, with  wings  outspread  ready  for  flight,  their  rich  colors 
glistening  in  the  sun. 

Mariposa  county  is  named  for  this  flower,  as  also  the  grove 
of  trees  we  had  just  left. 

A  feeling  of  awe  comes  over  me  when  I  think  of  those 
giants  of  the  forest,  standing  here  and  there  as  guardians  of 
that  mighty  family. 

With  the  exception  of  "The  Brothers'  they  do  not  grow 
close  together,  and  if  they  continue  to  grow  as  much  in  the  next 
thousand  years  as  they  have  in  the  past  thousand,  they  have 
made  a  wise  choice  in  securing  ground  room  for  growth. 

Much  has  been  written  of  the  "  Wawona,"  and  it  is  a 
duty,  as  well  as  pleasure,  for  each  visitor  to  drive  through  it. 
Our  coach,  drawn  by  six  horses,  took  us  through  the  opening, 
and  plenty  of  room  to  spare.  All  of  the  large  trees  show  signs 
of  fire  being  made  on  the  side  of  them,  and  it  is  supposed  the 
Indians  had  their  fire-worship  here.  I  could  well  understand 
their  love  and  worship  for  these  living  gods.  As  Nature  is 


56  WILD    FLOWERS   OF   TIIL    PACIFIC   COAST. 

their    worship,    what    could     be     more     grand    in    nature    than 
these  ?" 

The  tallest  big  tree  yet  discovered  measures  three  hundred 
and  fifty-two  feet  in  height.  The  circumference  of  the  largest, 
near  the  ground,  sometimes  reaches  nearly  one  hundred  feet  ; 
many  are  over  fifty  feet  in  circumference  at  six  feet  above  the 
ground. 

The  cones  of  the  big  trees  are  small,  some  of  them  only 
one  or  two  inches  in  length,  but  very  regular  and  handsome. 

We  spent  the  first  night  out  at  Washburn's.  The  start  in 
the  morning  was  at  four  o'clock.  As  we  reached  the  top  of  the 
first  hill  the  sun  was  just  coming  up,  and  a  more  glorious  sight 
I  never  expect  to  witness.  The  grand  forest  on  one  side,  with 
its  branches  garlanded  with  golden  moss,  glistening  with  the  first 
rays  of  the  rising  sun.  On  the  other  side  the  valley  below  us, 
with  the  sun  shining  through  the  rising  mist.  The  spirited 
horses  seemed  to  feel  the  inspiration  ;  the  leaders  turned  the 
sharp  angles  in  the  most  graceful  manner.  There  were  but  two 
passengers  this  morning,  and  we  both  had  the  box  seat.  1  he 
horses  seemed  to  fly  over  the  ground,  up  hill  and  down.  We 
held  our  breath  for  fear  ;  yet  what  seemed  to  us  its  element  of 
danger  made  the  drive  so  much  the  more  exciting. 

We  were  told  the  railroad  would  soon  reach  Washburn's. 
It  will  perhaps  make  it  more  comfortable  for  timid  passengers, 
but  for  me  give  me  the  coach-and-six.  I  would  not  exchange 
that  morning's  drive  for  a  ride  in  the  finest  palace  car  across  the 
Continent. 


BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION. 

BUTTERCUPS. 
Ranunculacice  Californicus.     Benth. 

More  or  less  pilose  ;  stems  erect,  or  nearly  so,  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high  ;  root 
a  cluster  of  somewhat  thickened  fibers  ;  radical  leaves,  commonly  pinnately  ternate,  the 
leaflets  laciniately  cut  into  three  to  seven  lobes  or  parts,  which  are  usually  linear;  flowers 
five  to  ten  lines  in  diameter;  petals  usually  ten  to  fourteen,  narrowly  obovate  ;  sepals 
shorter  than  the  petals,  reflexed  ;  akenes  nearly  two  lines  long,  much  flattened  and  with 
sharp  edges;  beak  short  and  curved;  heads  compact,  ovate  or  globular  (Brewer  & 
Watson). 


EVENING    PRIMROSE. 

(Enothera  Californica.      Watson. 


Hoary-pubescent  and  more  or  less  villous  ;  stems  herbaceous  from  a  running  root- 
stock,  decumbent,  about  a  span  long  ;  leaves  narrowly  oblanceolate,  acuminate,  mostly 
petioled,  sinuately  toothed  or  irregularly  pinnatifid  two  to  four  inches  long;  flowers  large, 
white,  becoming  pinkish,  axillary  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


BURR-CLOVER. 

Orthocarpus  linearilobus.     Benth. 

A  foot  high,  above  with  hirsute  or  somewhat  hispid  pubescence  ;  leaves  with  few  or 
several  long  and  slender  divisions  ;  floral  ones  equaling  the  densely  spicate  flowers,  the 
tips  of  their  divisions  commonly  tinged  with  purple  ;  calyx-lobes  much  longer  than  the 
tube  and  equaling  that  of  the  (purplish  ?)  corolla ;  sacs  of  the  latter  narrow,  tapering 
gradually  downward,  much  longer  than  deep  ;  the  ovate-subulate  teeth  thickish  and  short 
(Brewer  &  Watson). 


58  BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION. 

BABY    BLUE-EYES. 

Nemophila  Mcnziesii.     Hook  and  Arn. 

Leaves  pinnately  parted  into  seven  to  nine  oblong  and  sometimes  two  to  three  lobed 
small  divisions  ;  corolla  from  light  blue  to  nearly  white,  sprinkled  with  dark  dots  or  spots, 
at  least  toward  the  center  or  (in  cultivation)  the  spots  confluent  into  a  brownish  purple 
eye  ;  its  scales  narrow  and  wholly  adherent  by  'one  edge,  the  other  edge  densely  ciliate  ; 
seeds  oval  or  oblong,  either  even  or  more  or  less  tuberculate  when  ripe. 

Low  or  shady  grounds  not  uncommon.  Corolla  from  half  an  inch  to  near  an  inch 
in  diameter  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


YELLOW    POPPY. 

Eschscholtzia  Californica.     Cham. 

Usually  one  to  one  and  one-half  feet  high  and  rather  stout,  branching;  flowers  large, 
two  to  four  inches  in  diameter,  usually  brilliant  orange  in  the  center ;  torus  dilated  and 
often  broadly  rimmed ;  capsule  two  and  one-half  inches  long,  curved  ;  seeds  two-thirds  of 
a  line  in  diameter,  reticulated;  rhaphe  obscure  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


LARKSPUR. 

Delphinium  Calif  or  nicum.      Torrey  and  Gray. 

-Stems  nearly  or  quite  smooth  below  ;  leaves  large,  three  to  five-cleft,  the  divisions 
variously  lobed ;  racemes  strict,  close-flowered  above ;  pedicels  and  flowers  densely, 
velvety  pubescent. 

Dry  soils  near  the  coast.  Stems  stout,  two  or  more  feet  high.  Lower  leaves  three 
to  five  inches  in  diameter,  usually  deeply  five-cleft,  the  divisions  cuneate  at  base  and 
laciniately  toothed  or  lobed.  Flowers  commonly  a  light  but  dull  blue,  often  more  or  less 
tinged  with  violet  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION.  59 

WILD-THRIFT. 

Mesembryanthemuni  aquilaterale.     Haworth. 

Perennial,  with  stout  prostrate  or  ascending  stems,  and  short  ascending  flowering 
branches,  leaves  very  fleshy,  opposite  and  clasping,  linear,  acutely  triangular,  one  to  three 
inches  long,  smooth  ;  flowers  solitary,  red  pedicellated  or  nearly  sessile,  about  one  and 
one-half  inches  in  diameter  ;  calyx  tube  turbinate,  half  an  inch  long  or  more,  angled  or 
terete ;  the  larger  lobes  often  as  long ;  stigmas  six  to  ten  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


CLUSTER    LILY. 
Broditea  capitata.     Benth. 

Leaves  a  foot  long  or  more,  two  to  ten  lines  wide,  carinate,  usually  glaucous ;  scape 
a  foot  or  two  high,  sometimes  much  shorter  than  the  leaves  ;  flowers  few  to  many,  nearly 
sessile  or  on  pedicels  one  to  six  lines  long;  perianth  rather  broadly  funnel-form,  six  to  ten 
lines  long,  from  blue  to  purple  or  white ;  inner  anthers  nearly  sessile,  linear,  two  lines 
long,  slightly  shorter  than  the  oblong  lanceolate  appendages ;  the  outer  smaller,  on 
short,  naked  filaments  broadly  dilated  at  the  base  ;  capsule  ovate,  sessile,  three  lines 
long;  beaked  by  the  slender  style  nearly  as  long;  seeds  several  in  each  cell,  two  lines 
long  (Brewer  &  \Vatson). 


VIOLET. 

Viola  pcdunculata.      Torrey  and  Gray. 

Nearly  glabrous,  or  somewhat  puberulent,  the  ascending  stems  two  to  six  inches 
high,  from  a  slender  decumbent  or  procumbent  base  ;  leaves  rhombic-cordate,  with  base 
usually  truncate  or  abruptly  cuneate,  obtuse,  one-half  to  one  and  one  half  inches  long, 
often  small,  coarsely  crenate  ;  stipules  foliaceous.,  narrowly  lanceolate,  entire  or  gashed ; 
peduncles  much  exceeding  the  leaves  ;  flowers  showy,  deep  yellow;  sepals  oblong-lanceo- 
late, obtuse  or  acute  ;  petals  six  to  nine  lines  long,  the  upper  more  or  less  tinged  with 
brown,  on  the  outside,  the  others  veined  with  purple,  lateral  petals  bearded  ;  capsule 
oblong-ovate,  five  to  six  lines  long,  glabrous  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


6O  BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION. 

WILD    VERBENA. 

Abronia  umbellata.     Lam. 

Perennial,  prostrate,  slender,  viscidly  puberulent,  the  stems  often  elongated,  one  to 
three  feet  high  ;  leaves  nearly  glabrous,  ovate  to  narrowly  oblong,  one  to  one  and  one- 
half  inches  long,  attenuate  into  a  slender  petiole,  obtuse,  the  margin  often  somewhat 
sinuate  ;  peduncles  two  to  six  inches  long;  involucral  bracts,  small,  narrowly  lanceolate, 
two  to  three  lines  long,  ten  to  fifteen-flowered  ;  perianth  rose-colored,  six  to  eight  lines 
long,  with  emarginate  lobes  ;  fruit  four  to  five  lines  long,  nearly  glabrous,  the  body 
oblong,  attenuate  at  each  end  ;  the  thin  wings  nearly  as  long,  rounded,  broadest  above 
and  often  truncate,  narrowing  downward  to  the  base  of  the  fruit  ;  akene  one  and  one-half 
lines  long  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


BLUE-BELLS. 
Pliacelia    Wkitlavia.      Gray. 

About  a  foot  high,  loosely  branching,  hirsute  and  glandular,  .eaves  ovate  or  deltoid, 
obtusely  and  incisely  toothed,  longer  than  the  petiole  ;  raceme  loose  and  elongating ; 
tube  of  the  violet  (or  rarely  white)  corolla  an  inch  or  so  long,  twice  or  thrice  the  length 
of  the  rounded  lobes  and  of  the  narrow  calyx  lobes  ;  stamens  conspicuously  exserted 
(Brewer  &  Watson). 


SNAP-DRAGON. 

Mimulus  lutens.     Linn. 

Erect  or  diffuse,  from  a  fibrous  annual  root,  and  commonly  perennial  by  short  stolons, 
glabrous  or  merely  puberulent ;  the  ordinary  erect  form  a  foot  or  two  or  even  three  or  four 
feet  high  ;  leaves  ovate,  oval  or  roundish,  sometimes  cordate,  several-nerved  from  base 
or  near  it,  sharply  and  irregularly  dentate,  or  the  lower  occasionally  lyrate-laciniate  ;  the 
upper  sessile ;  the  floral  becoming  small  and  bract-like,  often  connate ;  peduncles 
becoming  racemose,  equaling  or  shorter  than  the  flower;  calyx  becoming  ovate — inflated 
in  fruit  and  the  upper  tooth  conspicuously  largest ;  corolla  from  one  and  one-fourth  to 
one  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  yellow,  often  dotted  within  and  sometimes  blotched 
with  brown-red  or  purple  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION.  6  I 

SHOOTING  STAR. 
Dodecatheon  Meadia.     Linn. 

Leaves  varying  from  obovate  to  lanceolate,  entire  or  more  or  less  toothed  ;  scope 
three  to  fifteen  inches  high  ;  umbel  two  to  twenty  flowered.  So  far  as  we  can  make  out 
only  one  species  occurs,  which  extends  across  the  continent,  and  on  the  Pacific  side 
through  fully  forty  degrees  of  latitude  (viz.:  from  Gaudaloupe  Island,  Lower  California, 
to  those  within  Behring  Straits),  varying  immensely  and  inextricably.  The  Pacific  forms 
(which  usually  have  rather  shorter  or  blunter  anthers  than  the  Atlantic),  may,  as  to  their 
leading  features,  be  mainly  but  loosely  arranged  under  many  varieties  (Brewer  & 
Watson). 


WILD  PEONY. 

Pceonia  Broivnii.     Dougl. 

Leaves  thick,  one  or  two-ternately,  compound,  the  leaflets  ternately  and  pinnately 
lobed  ;  follicles  three  to  five.  San  Bernardino  to  Vancouver  and  Western  Utah,  but 
rare  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Stems  ten  to  eighteen  inches  high,  smooth,  striate,  erect 
when  growing,  but  gradually  bending  over  until  maturity,  when  the  follicles  rest  on  the 
ground.  Leaves  glaucous  beneath,  either  glaucous  or  glabrous  above.  Sepals  green, 
sometimes  quite  unequal  in  size.  Petals  scarcely  larger  than  the  sepals,  thick  and 
leathery,  dull,  dark  red.  Follicles  very  leathery,  smooth,  erect,  one  to  one  and  one-half 
inches  long.  This  plant  endures  a  great  range  of  station  and  climate,  from  wet  to  very 
dry  soils,  and  from  the  hot  plains  of  Southern  California  to  near  the  confines  of  perpetual 
snow  on  the  mountains  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


CHINESE    CIGARETTE    BLOSSOM. 

Nicotiana  glauca.     Graham. 

Arborescent,  soft-woody  below,  glaucous  and  glabrous  ;  leaves  long-petioled,  ovate 
and  subio-ordate,  entire  or  repand  ;  flowers  loosely  paniculate  ;  corolla  greenish,  becoming 
yellow,  inch  or  two  long,  tubular,  contracted  at  throat,  and  with  erect  five-crenate  limb 
not  longer  than  the  orifice. — Bot.  Mag.  t.  2837.  Native  of  Buenos  Ayres,  not  rare  in 
cultivation,  rather  widely  naturalized  in  S.  California  and  S.  Texas. 


62  BOTANICAL    DESCRIPTION. 

WILD    HELIOTROPE. 
Phacelia  tanacetifolia.     Bentk. 

Erect,  one  to  three  feet  high,  roughish-hirsute  or  hispid;  leaves  nine  to  seventeen, 
divided  into  linear  or  oblong-linear  once  or  twice  pinnately-parted  or  cleft  divisions,  all 
sessile  or  nearly  so;  the  lobes  small  and  mostly  linear-oblong  ;  spikes  cymosely  clustered, 
at  length  elongated  ;  the  very  short  pedicels  ascending  or  erect ;  corolla  light  violet  or 
bluish  ;  stamens  and  style  usually  very  much  exserted ;  calyx-lobes  linear  or  linear 
spatulate,  not  twice  the  length  of  the  oval  or  oblong-oval  capsule  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


TIDY-TIPS. 

Gaillardia  aristata.     Pursh. 

Perennial,  a  span  to  a  foot  or  more  high  ;  lowest  leaves  spatulate  or  oblanceolate, 
sometimes  pinnatifid,  tapering  into  petioles  ;  the  upper  sessile  and  often  entire  ;  bristles 
on  the  receptacle  slender,  much  longer  than  the  akenes,  sometimes  almost  as  long  as  the 
corolla  ;  rays  ten  to  eighteen,  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  yellow,  sometimes  tinged  with 
purple  at  the  very  base. 

Plains  and  open  ground,  common  through  Oregon,  extending  to  the  Saskatchewan 
region. 


SNOW    PLANT. 

Sar codes  sanguined.      Torrey. 

A  stout,  fleshy  herb,  a  span  or  two  in  height,  of  a  bright  red  color,  more  or  less 
glandular-pubescent,  thickly  clothed,  at  least  up  to  the  raceme,  with  firm,  fleshy  scales ; 
the  lower  ones  ovate  and  closely  imbricated,  the  upper  gradually  more  scattered,  narrower, 
and  passing  into  the  linear  bracts,  which  mostly  exceed  the  flowers,  their  margins 
glandular-ciliate  ;  pedicels  erect,  at  least  the  upper  ones  short ;  corolla  half  an  inch  long, 
rather  fleshy,  glabrous. 

In  coniferous  forests,  especially  those  of  Sequoia  and  Abies,  through  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  from  four  thousand  to  nine  thousand  feet,  shooting  forth  and  flowering  as  soon 
as  the  snow  melts  away  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


BOTANICAL   DESCRIPTION.  63 

FORGET-ME-NOT. 
Mertensia  Sibirica.     Don. 

Smooth  and  glabrous  or  nearly  so,  a  foot  or  more  high,  rather  succulent,  leafy;  leaves 
pale,  ovate-lanceolate  or  oblong,  acute,  two  to  five  inches  long,  or  the  lowest  larger  and 
broader,  minutely  ciliate  ;  (lowers  at  first  clustered  ;  corolla  half  an  inch  or  less  long,  much 
longer  than  the  oblong,  obtuse  divisions  of  the  calyx  ;  the  five-cleft  limb  about  half  the 
length  of  the  tube  ;  stamens  protruding  out  of  the  throat,  and  the  capillary  style  early 
projecting  beyond  the  lobes  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


WOOD-LILY. 
Erythronium  grandiflorum.     Pursh. 

Corm  narrow,  often  two  inches  long  ;  leaves  not  mottled,  always  closely  approximate, 
oblong-lanceolate,  acute  or  acutish  and  with  broad  and  usually  short  petioles,  three  to  four 
inches  long,  by  one  to  two  wide  ;  flowers  solitary,  or  often  in  a  raceme  of  two  or  six  or 
more,  yellow  or  cream  color,  with  a  more  or  less  orange  base ;  segments  lanceolate,  and 
somewhat  acuminate,  strongly  recurved,  one  to  two  inches  long,  filaments  long  and  slen- 
der ;  anthers  three  to  five  lines  long  ;  ovary  and  capsule  narrowly  oblong,  narrowing  to  a 
short  stipe  ;  capsule  an  inch  long  or  more  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


AZALEA. 
Rhododendron  occidentals.     Gray. 

Shrub  two  to  six  feet  high,  leaves  obovate-oblong,  sometimes  approaching  lanceolate, 
bright  green  and  shining  above,  minutely  pubescent,  glabrate,  the  margins  minutely  hispid- 
ciliate  ;  scales  of  the  flower-bud  somewhat  canescent  ;  flowers  appearing  after  the  leaves; 
sepals  distinct,  oblong  or  oval,  conspicuous  ;  corolla  minutely  viscid,  pubescent  outside, 
white  (sometimes  slightly  rosy),  with  the  upper  lobe  yellow  inside  ;  the>  narrow  funnel- 
form  tube  equaling  the  deeply  five-cleft  slightly  irregular  limb  ;  the  lobes  ovate  ;  stamens 
and  style  much  exserted,  moderately  curved;  capsule  oblong  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


64  BOTANICAL    DESCRIPTION. 

SPOTTED    LILY. 

Liliuin   Columbianum.     Hanson. 

Bulb  small  (one  and  one-half  to  two  inches  in  diameter),  with  lanceolate,  acute, 
closely-appressed  whitish  scales  ;  stems  two  to  three  feet  high  or  more,  slender  ;  leaves  in 
whorls  of  five  to  nine  or  sometimes  more,  the  upper  and  lower  scattered,  oblanceolate, 
two  to  four  inches  long  and  six  to  fifteen  lines  wide,  acute,  smooth  ;'  flowers  few  to  many, 
scattered,  on  slender,  curving,  more  or  less  divergent  pedicels,  three  to  six  inches  long ; 
segments  one  and  one-half  to  two  inches  long  and  four  to  six  lines  wide,  strongly  revo- 
lute,  bright  reddish  orange,  thickly-spotted  ;  stamens  about  equaling  the  style,  twelve  to 
fifteen  lines  long,  with  yellow,  oblong  anthers,  two  to  three  lines  long  ;  capsule  short, 
oblong,  an  inch  long,  acutely  six-angled  (Brewer  &  Watson). 


SALMON-BLOSSOM   AND    PINK   GRASS. 

• 
Rubus   Nutkanus,     Mocino. 

Stems  erect  or  drooping,  three  to  eight  feet  high  ;  bark  green  and  smooth  or  more 
or  less  glandular-pubescent,  becoming  brown  and  shreddy  ;  leaves  palmately  and  nearly 
equally  five-lobed,  cordate  at  base,  unequally  serrate,  four  to  twelve  inches  broad,  the 
lobes  acute  or  acuminate,  glabrous  or  somewhat  tomentose,  the  veins  beneath  as  well  as 
the  petioles  and  peduncles  usually  more  or  less  hispid  with  gland-tipped  hairs  ;  stipules 
lanceolate  acuminate  ;  flowers  rather  few,  white,  an  inch  or  two  broad  ;  calyx  densely 
tomentose,  carpels  very  numerous,  tomentose  ;  fruit  large  and  pleasantly  flavored 
(Brewer  &  Watson). 


MARIPOSA   LILY. 

Calochortus.    Pursh. 

Perianth  deciduous,  of  six  distinct  species;  segments,  the  three  outer  lanceolate, 
greenish  and  more  or  less  sepaloid,  the  inner  mostly  broadly  cuneate-obovate,  usually 
with  a  conspicuous  glandular  pit  near  the  base  and  very  variously  colored. 

This  is  perhaps  a  form  of  Calochortus  luteus.     Dougl. 


13  6879 


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